Summary

  • Live updates from Monday 13 August to Sunday 19 August

  • Click on related stories for updates from your area

Live Reporting

  1. Resident describes moment terror police arrived

    A man whose Nottingham flat was swooped on by police as part of an investigation into a suspected terror attack in Westminster has described the moment terror police arrived.

    Police searched two properties in Birmingham and one in Nottingham, and are currently searching a third address in Birmingham, after Salih Khater has been named by government sources as the suspect behind yesterday's Westminster terror attack.

    Faisal Edreis

    The raid at a home in Peveril Street, Nottingham was carried out by undercover officers from the Met Police Counter Terrorism Command, with assistance from Nottinghamshire Police and the East Midlands Special Operations Unit.

    When police came I was inside the house. They asked for details for the previous people but I don't know. It's a shared house and people come and leave, many people come and leave."

    Faisal Edreis, Resident on Peveril Street - flat raided by police

  4. Your photos: Sunsets

    BBC Weather Watchers

    Last night proved to be a good one for sunset photos across the West Midlands - well, if our BBC Weather Watchers are anything to go by.

    There three are from users Z70 in Swynnerton, Staffordshire, Liams Eye in Dawley, Shropshire, and DaveA in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire:

    SwynnertonZ70
    DawleyLiams Eye
    Royal Leamington SpaDaveA

  5. Lamb signs new two-year Bears deal

    Warwickshire batsman Matt Lamb signs a new two-year contract with the Bears.

    Read More

  6. Man jailed over woman's car bonnet death fall

    A man has been jailed for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice after a woman fell from the bonnet of a car and later died.

    Ross Bingham, 21, of Hagley Road in Edgbaston, was sentenced to four months in prison at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Wednesday.

    Ross BinghamWest Midlands Police

    Ellie Underhill, 20, died a week after she fell from the car at a Tesco Extra car park in Dudley, West Midlands in 2016.

    Police said the group did not take her straight to the hospital, but instead put her in the back of the car and went to McDonalds.

    Bingham was sentenced along with three others after they pleaded guilty at earlier court appearances.

  7. Monkey dust: 'I hate that I'm addicted'

    The synthetic drug rising in popularity in the West Midlands.

    Read More

  8. Town manager unhappy at players 'panicking'

    Faith Page
    Reporter, BBC Shropshire

    The Shrewsbury Town boss has accused his players of naivety after losing 2-1 for the second game in a row.

    Shrewsbury Town manager John AskeyPA

    His side had taken the lead against Burton Albion in the first round of the Carabao Cup but their visitors came from behind, after equalising just before half-time.

    Again, we've created chances but the second-half performance I thought, once they got the second, which again was a poor goal to give away, I thought we panicked a little bit instead of keep trying to play."

    John Askey, Shrewsbury Town manager

  9. Probe set to start into cause of huge Moorlands fire

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    An investigation's set to start today into the cause of a large wildlife in the Staffordshire Moorlands which has raged for almost a week.

    Smoke from the RoachesStaffordshire Fire and Rescue

    Fire crews have been at the area around the Roaches in Upper Hulme since Thursday.

    Strong winds meant the fire spread quickly and is estimated to have affected a 219-acre (0.8 sq km) area - roughly a quarter or the reserve.

    Today, the fire service says it's still expecting to be there over the next couple of days but is expecting heavy rain tonight which may aid its work.

  10. MP defends constituency after crash terror arrest

    The MP whose area covers Sparkbrook has spoken to BBC WM in the wake of the arrest of Westminster terror suspect Salih Khater, who is believed to have lived in the area.

    Mr Khater is being held on suspicion of terrorism after the car crash outside the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday morning.

    Later that day Labour's Roger Godsiff tweeted: "Today's attack at Westminster was carried out by an individual who is believed to have been living in my constituency in Birmingham. My deepest sympathies to the cyclists and pedestrians who were injured in the attack."

    Salih KhaterFacebook

    The vast majority of people living in my constituency of the Sparkbrook area, they are very much law abiding and want to be left to get on with their lives. They want nothing whatsoever to do with a small minority who want to destroy our society and theirs

    Roger Godsiff, Labour MP for Birmingham Hall Green

  11. Transparency urged over hill-fort housing plan

    Faith Page
    Reporter, BBC Shropshire

    Campaigners are calling for “a fair hearing and transparent process” over proposals to build more homes near Oswestry’s Iron Age hill-fort.

    Oswestry hill-fortGoogle

    The plans for up to 117 homes are expected soon from developer Galliers Homes, for land off Whittington Road.

    Shropshire Council's already confirmed the heritage impact would need to be examined as part of any planning application.

    Campaign group Hands Off Old Oswestry Hillfort says it's concerned any development would affect the Old Oswestry and Wat’s Dyke monuments as well as other, rare features.

  13. Birmingham City Women sign Scott

    Birmingham City Women sign former Reading full-back Harriet Scott on a one-year deal.

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  14. Over 65s targeted for new exercise classes

    Faith Page
    Reporter, BBC Shropshire

    A new set of exercise classes, aiming at improving strength and balance in people aged over 65, are being launched in Shropshire.

    Over 65 Elevate classElevate

    The project Elevate aims to reduce the risk of falls in older age.

    The first classes are planned for Ludlow, Whitchurch, Craven Arms, Oswestry, Shrewsbury and Bishop's Castle.

  15. Westminster terror suspect is 'very quiet man'

    A man who claims to know Westminster terror suspect Salih Khater has described him as a "very quiet man".

    Ahmed Abdi spoke to the BBC outside Bunna Internet Cafe, on Stratford Road, in Birmingham, which is said to be where Mr Khater lived for a short time.

    Mr Abdi said: "Salih, I know him a year-and-a-half, he doesn’t talk that much.

    "I know him from the shisha lounge upstairs, I used to go there every morning. I smoke shisha around 11 o’clock and Salih was there."

    Ahmed Abdi speaking to the BBC

    I’m from Somalia, he was from Sudan. I know because sometimes [he] speak to others, they ask him things and he used to reply. Sometimes he used to listen [to] loud music and had to turn it down

    Ahmed Abdi, Acquaintance of Salih Khater

    Bunna Internet Cafe in Stratford Road

  16. M6 northbound traffic held

    Stephanie Barnard
    BBC News

    Traffic has been stopped on the M6 northbound between Walsall and Wolverhampton due to a "motorway incident".

    Highways England is warning drivers to expect delays and consider alternative routes as traffic is at a standstill between junctions nine and 10.

  17. Monkey Dust: 'I hate the fact that I like it'

    Victoria Derbyshire

    Emergency services in Stoke-on-Trent are worried Monkey Dust is becoming an epidemic.

    One man, who gave his name as Smithy, says he's been using it over the past 12 months.

    Aged 31, he has been sleeping rough for 10 years, and says it is one of the most potent drugs he has ever tried.

    Monkey dust user, Smithy

    I hate the fact that I like it. I hate it every time I have it, but I still have it. It's everywhere. There's that many people on it."

    Smithy

    Chief Supt Jeff Moore, from Staffordshire Police, says the force has dealt with 950 calls related to the drug in the past three months.

    "From a drug perspective this is the worst we've seen. It's a consequence of not just taking the drug, but people risking others' safety too."

    Read more on this story online.

  18. Tigers could return to Twycross Zoo after 20 years

    Amy Orton
    Local Democracy Reporter

    Tigers are set to make a return to Twycross Zoo after 20 years, planning documents have revealed.

    Plans for a new tiger house, outdoor enclosure and viewing tunnel have been approved by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.

    TigersPA

    The tiger habitat would be built on the site of three derelict enclosures - previously home to hyenas, nyalas and tufted deer.

    It would be surrounded by a six metre high fence, have five visitor viewing windows and a tunnel, which the tigers can walk across as visitors walk through.

    Gorillas at Twycross ZooLucy Ray

    The tigers will be neighbours to the otters, lemurs and gorillas and be near to the Chimpanzee Eden attraction.

    Permission was granted in January but a recent application has been made to alter some of the details. The latest application is expected to be approved.

    Work on the attraction is due to begin later this year after the plans are finalised in October.

    Snow leopards at Twycross Zoo, LeicestershireTwycross Zoo

    The zoo opened its doors in 1963 and is now home to more than 500 animals from more than 100 species, including snow leopards and is well known for its primate collection.

    Bonobo Kianga with her baby at Twycross ZooTony Wallbank

    Karen Clarke, Twycross Zoo chief operating officer, said: “In order to build on our world class conservation efforts and add to our market leading visitor experience we are considering a number of options as part of our 20 year £55m master plan, including a state-of-the-art tiger habitat."

    The zoo did not say what kind of tiger would be kept.

  19. Daily flights from Istanbul announced

    BBC Midlands Today

    New flights have been announced at Birmingham Airport.

    Services between the city and Istanbul will run twice a day from next March.

    Turkish airlinesBirmingham Airport

    Turkish Airlines says it's responding to growing passenger traffic between the UK and Turkey.

  20. Westminster terror suspect studied in Coventry

    Coventry University confirms that Westminster terror suspect Salih Khater studied accountancy for nine months in 2017.

    A spokesman for the university said he studied at Coventry University between September 2017 and May 2018.

    No other details have so far been given.