Worcester News

A few of the stories making the headlines on the Worcester News website today:

• Police make 124 arrests in war on drugs in Worcester, external
• Plea to offer work placements to Worcester children with special needs, external
• Adrenaline junkie raises funds for children's charity, external

BBC Shropshire

Shrewsbury Town's new boss Sam Ricketts says he's pleased with the attitude of his squad.

Image source, Getty Images

He won his opening game in the Checkatrade Trophy but, on Saturday, narrowly lost away to Burton Albion.

The result leaves Shrewsbury four places above the relegation places in League One.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Herbert Soden

Taxi drivers have criticised plans to get more of them using electric vehicles, saying it will "badly affected the taxi trade".

Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council is currently consulting on a new licensing policy for 2019-21 , externalwhich includes encouraging the switch to electric vehicles, to try to cut air pollution.

The policy would allow them to be licensed for up to 10 years, compared with a seven-year maximum for petrol and diesel cabs, which the authority says would help with purchase costs.

But the Newcastle Hackney Carriage Association says electric cars are too expensive at the moment and there aren't enough charging points in the borough.

The authority says going electric is just a proposal and it's allowing drivers and firms to keep using petrol and diesel engines.

New running tracks are being built at primary schools in Shropshire from recycled roads.

Work has already started on one near Ellesmere and Shropshire Council says another 14 will be built at schools by the end of March., external

Image source, Shropshire Council

Funding has come from central government and will see the remains of damaged roads turned into the base for the running tracks, which will then be topped with tarmac.

The timing of projects will be tied to major highway repairs in each area.

It is hoped they will help primary children meet the Daily Mile challenge - to walk or run a mile every day.

Outsourcing giant Interserve is seeking a rescue deal as it faces £500m of debts, it was revealed over the weekend.

The firm is one of the UK's largest providers of public services, working in prisons, schools, hospitals and on the roads - and employs 45.000 people in the UK.

The latest news follows a profit warning last year and inevitably draws comparison with Wolverhampton-based outsourcing firm Carillion, which collapsed in January with £1.5bn of debts.

Image source, Creative Commons

However, there are differences and the BBC understands Interserve's management still has lenders' support.

About 1,400 staff are thought to work at its regional headquarters next to Birmingham Airport.

In terms of healthcare, Interserve has two bases in the Midlands, in Telford and Birmingham, but works in NHS hospitals across the region, as well as providing social care services.

Its shares slumped 70% from Friday's level, but the firm said it was "making good progress" on a recovery plan.

Birmingham Live

These are some of the headlines on the Birmingham Live website today:

• Police probe after man dies in flat fire in Handsworth Wood, external
• Carjackers 'threaten cemetery visitor at gunpoint', external
• Roofing conman ripped off couple for £35k, external

A woman who was a foster carer for 30 years is now making Christmas hampers for young people leaving the system preparing to live alone.

Image source, Norma Wilson

Norma Wilson from Rugby has made more than 200 boxes so far this year.

They've been given to care-leavers and other vulnerable individuals and families, as well as refugees and asylum seekers.

A man's been arrested on suspicion of money laundering after his car was pulled over by police last night. , external

Officers say they stopped the vehicle on Station Road, Stoke-on-Trent and found more than £2,000 when they searched it.

The 21-year-old, who's from the city, remains in custody.

BBC Weather Watchers

The sunrise this morning brought some great colours to skies across the West Midlands and these photos are from some of our local BBC Weather Watchers.

They are users Marguerite in Ellesmere, Shropshire, Wendles in Yoxall, Staffordshire and Our view in Clun, Shropshire:

Image source, Marguerite

Image source, Wendles

Image source, Our view

A university campus is going to be taken over by a new consortium which will offer healthcare courses to up to 5,000 students, it's been revealed.

Manchester Metropolitan University announced in 2016 that it would be leaving the Crewe site next summer, saying at the time that it was "no longer academically or financially sustainable".

Now a deal's been done to buy the campus which will be operated by the University of Buckingham in partnership with an Indian hospital operator and a company run by former Cheshire East Council leader Michael Jones.

They'll offer medical and health courses.

Crewe Town Council says it's "tremendous" news for the local economy.

If you use Facebook Messenger and are interested in news from the West Midlands, you can sign up for daily updates direct to your phone, external.

Coventry Live

These are some of the headlining stories on the Coventry Live site this morning:

• Man seriously injured in late-night incident outside pub, external
• Two drunk knifemen jailed after fatal hit-and-run, external
• Jaguar Land Rover sales plunge as Chinese problems persist, external

A campaign is being launched to gather people's memories of the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre as it nears its 125th anniversary.

Image source, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

The building was opened on 10 December 1894 and has hosted a long list of celebrities including Charlie Chaplin, Sean Connery and Winston Churchill.

To mark the landmark date next year bosses want people to send in their memories of the venue.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Swearing while making a rude gesture with your middle finger could help you deal with pain, new research has found., external

The same team at Keele University, in Staffordshire, was also behind a previous study that found swearing was an effective way of reducing pain.

Image source, Thinkstock

Psychologist Dr Richard Stephens's latest research involved testing whether making a "taboo hand gesture" could also help people when they're in pain.

Volunteers were asked to make the gesture while their hand was submerged in ice water.

Dr Stephens said that those taking part didn't feel less in pain when making the middle finger gesture but did rate the experience more positively over pointing their index finger.

However, Dr Stephens concluded swearing was still more effective at making you feel better.

A man has died following a serious fire in a property in Handsworth, Birmingham.

Fire crews were called to College Road to reports of a fire in a mid-terrace property shortly before 04:45.

The man, believed to be in his 50s, was pronounced dead at the scene, said West Midlands Police.

A fire investigation is being carried out.

BBC News England

Single people in need of a home are the least likely to be prioritised by local authorities. But could one-person micro-homes be an answer - or is expecting people to live in a box, and be grateful about it, a step too far?

Image source, iKozie

BBC News has been examining the issue including looking at a community of micro-homes recently granted planning permission in Worcester - where each unit has a floor space of just 17.25 sq metres.

They'll be erected some time next year but have faced vigorous opposition from residents worried about infrastructure, parking and antisocial behaviour which led to the proposed number of units being trimmed to 16.

Each of them will have a fully equipped bedroom, shower room, living area and kitchen and five of the 16 will be in the control of the city council's housing department.

You can read more about them and whether they could be a solution to homelessness here on the BBC website.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

The Stoke-on-Trent Live website is featuring these stories this morning:

• Four masked raiders rob heart attack victim in his Stoke-on-Trent home, external
• Cabbies clash with council after being 'encouraged' to buy electric cars, external
• Coroner to be updated after Stoke-on-Trent mum and son, 5, killed following horror smash, external

Glen Elvin denies murdering Christopher Harm and will stand trial in March.

BBC News Travel

A major crash on the M6 northbound in Warwickshire earlier involved six cars and one lorry, it has been revealed.

Two lanes remain closed between J3 to J3A in the roadworks section near Corley Services.

Traffic officers are working to clear the area, says Highways England, which is reporting delays of up to an hour.

It's advising drivers to find an alternative route.

When the young people attending the Dream Chaser youth club in Birmingham said they wanted to play football, founder Asha Ali Rage made it happen.

She couldn't afford to rent a football pitch and pay a professional football coach, so Ms Rage started training to be a coach herself and now up to 100 young people train and play football at the club.