Summary

  • Live updates from Monday 29 October to Sunday 4 November

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Live Reporting

  1. 'Paedophile' PC 'raped teenage girl'

    Officer Ian Naude joined the police in order to exploit vulnerable young girls, a court hears.

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  2. Our live coverage across the day

    Andy Giddings
    BBC News

    We'll be back with the news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 tomorrow.

  3. Rape accused police officer 'was committed paedophile'

    A PC accused of raping a teenage girl joined the police to "gain the keys to a sweet shop" and exploit vulnerable girls, a court heard.

    Ian Naude, who served with Cheshire Police, was "a committed paedophile", prosecutors told Liverpool Crown Court.

    He allegedly attacked the 13-year-old in his car in October 2017.

    Mr Naude, of Market Drayton, Shropshire, denies rape and sexual assault.

    The court heard he admitted sexual intercourse and sexual activity with a child but claimed it was consensual.

    His trial continues.

  5. Alcohol licence suspended over child welfare concerns

    The Falstaff Hotel in Leamington Spa has had its licence to serve alcohol suspended for three months after failing to give its staff adequate child welfare training, police have said.

    It follows an incident in April in which two missing teenage girls were found in a hotel room, along with a group of other teens and two young men.

    Falstaff HotelGoogle

    Warwickshire Police said the force was concerned that staff hadn't identified any cause for concern or taken any actions to protect the welfare of the vulnerable girls. They were also concerned that staff had not been taking the incident or subsequent investigation seriously enough.

    The force said it asked Warwick District Council's licensing committee to suspend the alcohol licence because the hotel hadn't taken up its offer of child protection training and because there was alcohol present in the room when the teenagers were found.

    Warwick District Council work in partnership with Warwickshire Police and relevant agencies to ensure the safeguarding of vulnerable people. The licensing committee will not hesitate to take action as and when required, and given the seriousness of the potential issue raised, the committee made the decision to remove the alcohol license at The Falstaff Hotel for three months in order to address the concerns raised by Warwickshire Police."

    Councillor George Illingworth, Chairman of Warwick District Council's licensing committee

  6. Campbell ready for first team chance

    BBC Sport

    Stoke City striker Tyrese Campbell believes he's ready to play for the first team, should he get the opportunity.

    The 18-year-old has scored seven goals in nine games for the under 23s, which he hopes will catch the eye of manager Gary Rowett.

    Tyrese CampbellGetty Images

    Campbell said he knew he had to be patient and it was important to "keep working hard" until his chance came.

  7. Mayor 'cross' at Channel 4 decision

    Andy Street said Birmingham put forward a "great package" to host the broadcaster's new headquarters.

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  8. Legal action threatened over disabled centre closure

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    A council's being urged to rethink a decision to shut a day centre used by disabled people as a legal firm's threatening legal action over the closure.

    Birmingham City Council

    Birmingham City Council's cabinet approved closing the Fairway Day Centre, Kings Norton, this year as part of plans to consolidate the day service for younger adults.

    But Irwin Mitchell says it's applying for a judicial review into the proposal, on behalf of the family of one of the centre's users, arguing the move is "unlawful" and wasn't properly consulted.

    The council says it carried out extra work to get its proposals across to users of the centre, having got feedback from them, and the decision was called in for more scrutiny by councillors before being approved.

  9. Tonight and tomorrow's weather forecast

    Shefali Oza
    BBC Midlands Today

    Generally dry this afternoon and evening with some showers around in parts of the West Midlands.

    Here's how tonight and tomorrow's weather forecast is looking:

    Shefali Oza

    You can also head to the BBC Weather website at any other time to get a latest forecast for your area.

  10. Angler drowned 'looking for fishing spot'

    Lukasz Lesniacki and his friend made a trip to Llandudno after it was recommended him by customers.

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  11. Channel 4 chooses Leeds for new HQ

    The broadcaster is moving almost 40% of its staff out of the capital.

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  12. Wasps' Young disappointed with timing of Wade departure

    BBC Coventry & Warwickshire Sport

    Wasps Director of Rugby, Dai Young says he's disappointed that winger Christian Wade has quit the club to concentrate on a career in American Football.

    The news was confirmed last week and Young said the first he knew about it was last month.

    Dai YoungGetty Images

    Wade plans to fly to Florida in January to join a 12-week American Football training camp and hopes to impress NFL scouts ahead of the sport's annual draft in April.

    Everyone's entitled to follow a dream as such, but I think you've got to be mindful of how that leaves other people. He only started talking to us at the end of September about it, so that's a disappointing factor."

    Dai Young, Wasps director of rugby

  13. Move to tackle railway fare dodgers

    Leona Smart
    Broadcast Journalist, BBC WM

    Fare dodgers are being targeted from today at three railway stations in Birmingham.

    West Midlands Railway says it will have staff at Birmingham Snow Hill, Five Ways and University from the first to the last train.

    Birmingham Snow HillWest Midlands Railway

  14. Liberty X chosen to turn on Christmas lights

    Do you remember Liberty X? Well they're turning on the Christmas lights in Hereford this year.

    The group was made up of the five losing finalists from the ITV's Popstars programme and reformed in 2012.

    Liberty XGetty Images

    The switch-on will be held in Hereford High Street on 18 November.

  15. Ex-police officer in court on child sex charges

    A former police officer joined the force to "gain the keys to a sweet shop" and exploit vulnerable girls, a court has been told.

    Ian Naude, a former member of Cheshire Police, denies a charge of raping a 13-year-old girl and another of sexual assault.

    He also denies four charges of attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence and one charge of arranging a child sex offence, relating to five complainants aged between 12 and 15.

    Liverpool Crown CourtGoogle

    Owen Edwards, prosecuting, said that in October 2017 Naude, 30, from Market Drayton, attended a domestic incident and while there he took down the name and details of a 13-year-old girl.

    The jury was told three days later he returned to the address, collected the girl in his car and raped her, while recording some of the incident on a mobile phone.

    The trial is expected to last three weeks and continues.

  17. Channel 4: Birmingham 'will still flourish'

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    The cultural sector of Birmingham will go "from strength to strength" despite not being picked by Channel 4 for its new national headquarters, a business group says.

    Channel 4 headquarters in London

    The broadcaster went instead for Leeds and the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce admitted it was "a blow" and a massive disappointment.

    But it added that it believed the cultural industries in the city would continue to flourish.

    London and Leeds are almost equal distances from Birmingham so we look forward extensive coverage on Channel 4."

    Paul Faulkner, Chief executive, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce

  18. Anglo-Saxon treasure charge men in court

    The case involves historic artefacts discovered in a village in 2015, police say.

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  19. Body found in River Severn

    A body has been found in the River Severn, near to Quay Street, in Worcester.

    West Mercia Police say they were called at around 15:00 and are advising people to stay clear for the time being.

    Quay StGoogle

    The death is currently being treated as unexplained.

  20. Channel 4: Mayor urged to apologise for 'failure'

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    More Labour politicians in the West Midlands have rounded on the region's mayor after Channel 4 picked Leeds over Birmingham for its new national headquarters.

    Channel 4 logoAFP/Getty Images

    Erdington's Labour MP Jack Dromey said it couldn't be right that the city had been snubbed by the broadcaster, calling it a failure by mayor Andy Street.

    While Labour MEP for the region Sion Simon, who lost out to Conservative Mr Street in the mayoral contest, said the mayor had promised to bring Channel 4 to the area and asked him to apologise.

    In his response, Andy Street said while he was disappointed, the work into the bid wasn't wasted and he was now looking to putting more effort and investment into the city's creative industries in the future.