Local Democracy Reporting Service
David Irwin

A pupil referral unit in Solihull, which recently received a damning Ofsted report,, external could be set to close next year.

Image source, Google

The Auckland Education Centre, in Smith’s Wood, was ranked “inadequate” in all areas, with inspectors raising serious concerns about safety and reporting some pupils had been unlawfully excluded.

This week, it was agreed that Solihull Council would consult with parents, schools and the wider community on a proposal to shut the facility from 31 August 2019.

The consultation on its future is due to be held in the spring term.

Burton striker Lucas Akins says they believe they have a chance to upset Manchester City in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

Nurse Suzanne Rigby has been helping homeless people in Stafford for the last six years.

Burton Albion say playing defending champions Manchester City in a Carabao Cup semi-final is "the stuff that dreams are made of, external".

Image source, Reuters

It is a first major semi-final for the Brewers, who have only been playing in the EFL Cup for 10 years, having won the National League in 2009.

The tie is going to be played over two legs in the weeks commencing 7 and 21 January with Burton hosting the second game.

Interest in the game is already high this morning with the club having to tweet to fans that there is no ticket news yet "so please don't ring the club today, external".

Stoke-on-Trent Live

The Stoke-on-Trent Live website is covering these stories today:

• Early morning arrests made following mass disorder at Port Vale v Stoke City derby, external
• Rapist jailed for 24 years after sexually abusing victims over two decades, external
• One of Stoke-on-Trent's biggest employers hit by massive cyber attack, external

Thirty four homeless people died in the West Midlands conurbation in 2017, new figures show. , external

London saw 136 homeless deaths in 2017, the highest for any region, with Greater Manchester the highest number of deaths for a city region followed by the West Midlands.

Deaths of homeless people have increased 24% over five years, said the Office for National Statistics.

There were more than five times as many male deaths compared with female deaths, the report shows.

Three men have been charged with bribery offences after an investigation into spot-fixing during cricket tournaments in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

They were all served with written summonses by the National Crime Agency (NCA) charging them with committing bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery.

Image source, PA

The following:

• Yousaf Vaqar Anwar, 35, of Marina Approach, Yeading, Hayes
• Mohammed Ijaz, 33, of Chippingham Road, Sheffield
• Nasir Jamshaid, 32, of View Point, Tividale, Oldbury

are all due to appear at Manchester Magistrates' Court on 15 January.

The NCA said it carried out its investigation alongside the International Cricket Council and Pakistan Cricket Board, which had suspended three players.

A singer-songwriter from Worcester says he hopes his new song will help people struggling with mental health issues.

Jason Allan, external says he suffers from social anxiety and minor depression himself, and explained the message contained in Scars, external is that these problems "don’t define you and hold you back".

Image source, Jason Allan

He wrote to his fans: “Just know, it gets better”.

Authorities are warning about a spike in scam emails and calls from people claiming to represent the likes of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), Amazon and TV Licensing.

HMRC says it's getting 85,000 reports a month of phone scams using its name - up 20% on last year.

Police in Shrewsbury said local residents had reported a flurry of calls claiming to be from HMRC about unpaid taxes - all from the one number, based in the Manchester area.

Fire safety checks across England have fallen by 42% over the last seven years, according to the new watchdog for fire and rescue services.

Image source, Getty Images

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services says brigades do a good job in emergencies, but amid cuts have reduced "vital" prevention work.

The Home Office said it wanted services to take "urgent action" where any failings had been identified.

Of the 14 mainly rural services that have been inspected so far, eight were told to improve checks, including the Warwickshire service.

Coventry Live

These are some of Coventry Live's headlines today:

• Union defends council staff accused of school holiday sickness , external
• Housing association decide if grieving sisters can keep home, external
• Secret buyer snaps up one of Coventry's most mysterious houses, external

A man has described spending six hours on a plane on the runway at Birmingham Airport after it was diverted from Gatwick, after drones were seen over the airfield.

Christopher Lister told BBC Breakfast he was now waiting to get back to London from Birmingham after his flight from Kiev was diverted.

"We essentially circled for about an hour until the captain came on and said we'd been diverted to Birmingham," he said, "but that's really where the fun started because we then spent, I think, another six hours on the plane, on the runway.

"I sympathise most with the women and children on the plane, there was a lot of small babies and they were running out of milk, and they were sleeping on the floors."

"It was a fairly rough night."

Birmingham Airport has been approached for a comment.

A "lucky" man was able to free himself from his car, after it crashed off the road in Redditch this morning.

Image source, Hereford and Worcester Fire Service

Ambulance and fire crews were called to the scene, close to the A435.

The fire service has warned drivers about slippery conditions on the roads.

The trust that runs Shropshire's two main hospitals is one of the best in the country for making sure patients wait no longer than 18 weeks for treatment.

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust is currently in special measures due to concerns about its A&E and maternity units.

Image source, SaTh

It is the subject of a major government review into baby deaths and last week its A&Es were rated second worst in the country in terms of meeting the four-hour wait target.

However, it is also performing well on several measures and is among the best in the country in terms of the time taken between GP referral and treatment in hospital.

In October, 93.5% of patients received operations or planned care within 18 weeks of being referred. The national average stands at 87.1%.

Officers investigating disorder during Port Vale's match against Stoke City under-21s, have identified 15 more men they'd like to question.

A "large section" of Stoke City fans were disruptive during the match at Port Vale on 4 December, Staffordshire Police said.

Fans were seen chanting, damaging sinks and smashing windows at the match in CCTV released by police.

A man found guilty of a "brutal and sustained" attack on a vulnerable man, is set to be sentenced today for his murder.

Image source, Warwickshire Police

Jonathan Cramp, 37, of no fixed address, had claimed he was attacked by 39-year-old Julian Perry at a flat in Bedworth in June, and that he killed him in self-defence.

However, he was convicted by a jury at Warwick Crown Court yesterday and will be sentenced today.

Warwickshire Police said Mr Perry, who suffered from mental health issues, died from multiple injuries.

The M6 through Staffordshire and Cheshire is expected to be one of the busiest in the country this Christmas, the RAC is warning.

It says there could be delays of up to three hours in places and the stretch between Junction 14 for Stafford and 17 for Crewe is expected to be the busiest in England today.

Typical journey times of 49 minutes between Stoke-on-Trent and Wigan are expected to take 229 minutes, according to RAC / Inrix.

The RAC is predicting a staggered Christmas rush with 2.5 million journeys across the country being made by Christmas Eve.

Express and Star

These are some of today's early headlines on the Express and Star website:

• £10m pathology expansion planned for New Cross Hospital, external
• Families' anger at Wolverhampton Air Space closure, external
• Thousands of bales of waste cleared from warehouse, external

Passengers at Gatwick Airport have been warned to expect further flight disruption after drones were seen over the airfield.

Gatwick's runway remains closed with some flights being diverted to Birmingham.

Christopher Lister, who had been returning from Kiev, posted a picture of people sleeping "on every seat and across the floors" on board his flight.

He said the photo was taken six hours after the plane - which was due to arrive at Gatwick - landed in Birmingham.

A woman, shot in her own home in Solihull on Tuesday, remains in a stable condition in hospital, police say.

The victim, 51, suffered gunshot wounds to her shoulder following the attack in Dovehouse Lane, Solihull.

No arrests have been made and detectives are treating it as an "isolated incident".

CCTV released by police shows a man wearing a hi-vis jacket and dark clothing entering the driveway of the victim's home.