Summary

  • Updates from Monday 20 August to Monday 27 August

  • Click on related stories for updates from your area

Live Reporting

  1. Possible sighting of missing boy

    Dave Wade
    BBC News

    Police have said they've had a possible sighting of a missing 12-year-old boy.

    Dre Wilson was reported missing at about 21:00 on Friday from Harby Lane, Stathern.

    Dre WilsonLeicestershire Police

    Leicestershire Police said CCTV shows a boy matching his description at a bus stop in Main Street, Stathern, at about 20:55.

    The same boy is then seen approaching a silver car before getting in and the car driving off.

    Inspector Lynda Sherwin said it was "crucial" to find him.

    "Did you see this child at the bus stop? Were you travelling by at the time and noticed him? Have you seen him perhaps on a bus or a train since and thought nothing of it at the time?" she asked.

    Dre, who has connections to Staffordshire and the West Midlands, has his ear and his nose pierced and is known to wear large gold-rimmed glasses.

    He was wearing a green khaki coat, black skinny jeans, a white shirt, light brown shoes, and was carrying a blue rucksack.

  2. Responsibility for prison situation 'shared by government and G4S'

    Prisons Minister Rory Stewart said the responsibility for the "shocking" situation at HMP Birmingham lay with both the government and private operators G4S.

    Earlier, Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that "somebody must have been asleep at the wheel".

    HMP Birmingham photos

    The government has taken over the jail after inspectors found violence, drug use and squalid conditions.

    However, the government has backed G4S's running of several other prisons, including HMP Oakwood in Staffordshire.

  3. More night-time closures for link road work

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    There are going to be three more night-time closures of a link road in Worcester, starting tonight, as work continues to expand the route.

    Scaffolding along the routeWorcestershire County Council

    Worcestershire County Council started earlier this year on efforts to fully dual the Southern Link Road between the M5 and the Powick roundabout.

    The authority's closing the route between the Powick and Ketch roundabouts from 21:00 to 05:00 for the next three nights.

    It says that will allow engineers to remove safety netting following the move of overhead cables on to a new pylon.

  5. Bus firm appeals fine for poor punctuality

    James Pearson
    Political reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    A bus firm hit with a £9,000 fine due to poor punctuality is appealing against the ruling.

    After a public inquiry, the industry regulator decided earlier this month Diamond Buses should face the penalty due to some services not running on time.

    A Diamond Bus in KidderminsterGoogle

    Passengers on the Kidderminster to Areley route were highlighted as being the most affected.

    But today, the traffic commissioner for the West Midlands has announced the fine would be postponed to allow the firm's appeal.

    The regulator's office says Diamond Buses claims the commissioner was wrong to reject some of the company's arguments for a “reasonable excuse” for late or cancelled services.

  6. Pedestrian seriously hurt after 'being hit by bus'

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    A pedestrian has being airlifted to hospital after reportedly being hit by a bus in Worcester this afternoon.

    It happened at around 14:30, police say, on Deansway and they add that the person's suffered serious injuries.

    The road has been shut and West Midlands Ambulance Service says just one patient is being airlifted to hospital.

  7. Life on the inside at 'hell hole' prison

    Staff, inmates and visitors have described poor conditions at the beleaguered HMP Birmingham.

    Read More

  8. Arrest after 500 cannabis plants found

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    A man's been arrested after more than 500 cannabis plants were found at a building in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

    Cannabis plantsStaffordshire Police

    Police say the plants were discovered on Saturday morning in an industrial unit.

    The 54-year-old man, of no fixed address, was charged with producing a controlled drug of Class B.

    Cannabis plantsStaffordshire Police

  10. Charity steps in to renovate home for terminally ill man

    Justyn Surrall
    BBC Hereford and Worcester

    A woman says she's "over the moon" that a charity's renovating the family home after her partner was diagnosed with a terminal illness.

    Jamie Thompson with partner Sarah Townsend and son OllieBand of Builders

    Jamie Thompson, 49, from Cradley, near Ledbury, Herefordshire, found out he had motor neurone disease in 2014 and his partner Sarah Townsend says he was given just a few years to live.

    The disease causes muscle wasting, eventually leaving people with the condition unable to support their head.

    The Band of Builders charity is now revamping the house so Jamie can use his motorised wheelchair to access more of the home and garden and spend time with his children.

    Jamie was a very practical person, has that sort of mind, always wants to fix things, do things, help others. He tried his best to do that, while he was still able to. It's been hugely frustrating, so frustrating [for him]."

    Sarah Townsend, Partner of Jamie Thompson

  12. Speedway: Tapes up at Monmore tonight

    Mike Taylor
    BBC WM

    Wolves take on Swindon in the Premiership this evening.

    Wolves will be without skipper Rory Schlein and reserve Nathan Greaves through injury.

    Tapes go up at 19:30 at Monmore.

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  13. The prison in a 'state of crisis'

    Problems escalated after a major riot at the jail in December 2016.

    Read More

  14. By-pass backed as government awards scheme £45m

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    A new by-pass will be built around Congleton after the government today awarded the project £45m.

    Cheshire East Council is planning to start work on the 5.5km (3.4 mile) link road later this year.

    Congestion on way into CongletonGoogle

    Today, ministers have approved the route connecting the A534 and the A536, which is expected to cost a total of £75m.

    The rest of the money is coming from private developers and the council, which says work will begin in October and is due to finish in 2020.

  15. Closure of day care centre to be reviewed

    Olivia Morley
    Journalist, BBC WM

    Birmingham councillors have been told to review a decision to close a day care centre for vulnerable adults.

    Campaigners have been fighting to keep the Fairway Centre in Kings Norton open after the council ordered it to be shut down because it can't afford to run it.

    Save Fairway Centre campaignersSave Fairway Centre

    It's now been announced that council officials will look at the decision again, following a meeting over its future last week.

  16. Birmingham loan back Ndoye to Angers

    Birmingham City loan back Senegal international defender Cheikh Ndoye to French club Angers.

    Read More

  17. Baggies' Nyom joins Leganes on loan

    West Brom defender Allan Nyom leaves the Championship club to join La Liga side Leganes on a season-long loan deal.

    Read More

  18. 'He was frightened of dying in prison'

    Wendy says her husband, a former inmate at Birmingham Prison, was afraid of dying inside the jail.

    Read More

  19. MPs react to government takeover of prison

    Some of Birmingham's Labour MPs have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on the government takeover of HMP Birmingham.

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    Prisons Minister Rory Stewart said it had "become clear that drastic action is required to bring about the improvements we require".

    The government believes the other prisons run by G4S - Altcourse, Oakwood, Parc and Rye Hill - are performing well.