A fund has been set up to support young swimmers after the death of Team GB hopeful Tazmin Pugh in a house fire.

The 18-year-old and her partner Josh Kirk were found dead inside a house in Cotheridge, near Worcester, in October.

Image source, Getty Images

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) concluded the fire, which was caused by an extension cable under furniture, was accidental.

Ms Pugh, a former member of the Ellesmere Titans team, swam for England and Great Britain at youth level.

The Tazmin Pugh Fund's now been set up in her memory, , externalaimed at awarding grants to young British swimmers.

Birmingham Live

Some of Birmingham Live's headlining stories today are:

• Violent car robbing gang kick open front door and attack homeowner, external
• The road with the highest rate of violent and sexual assaults , external
• Student trolled after discussing her body online, external

Malachi Neat, 14, is given the chance to take on their assault course at their training base in Devon.

A man has been charged with dangerous driving after a police chase through Birmingham that saw cars rammed.

Image source, West Midlands Police

An unmarked police car spotted a black VW Golf on Berkley Street, just off Broad Street in Birmingham city centre, at about 22:45 on Saturday.

The driver initially pulled over before it sped off. A stinger device was used, police said, but the driver continued his attempts to evade police by ramming other cars.

The 27-year-old male has also been charged with disqualified driving, having no insurance and failing to provide a specimen.

Two other men arrested, both aged 21, have been released under investigation.

Worcester Warriors captain GJ Van Velze signs a new two-year deal, tying him to Sixways until 2021.

A bus company is to be asked to delay cutting services to many rural areas in Warwickshire.

Councillors are also calling for rival bus operators to tender for routes under threat.

One councillor hit out at moves by bus company Stagecoach to cut services at the start of January.

The motion before the council said the cuts would isolate and affect communities in rural areas as well as the elderly and vulnerable in urban communities - discouraging rather than encouraging bus use.

Stagecoach said it had had "no official" request from the council to delay service changes, and would be "deeply shocked" to receive one having given them over three months' notice of its intention.

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

A family has paid tribute to a man who died after becoming trapped under a lorry., external

Image source, Google

Cheshire Police says John Huntbach, 76, died at the scene on the A51 Nantwich Bypass on Friday morning.

He was described as a "much loved husband, father and grandfather".

Officers have launched a joint investigation with the Health and Safety Executive into what caused his death.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl Jackson

Two German market traders were shut down temporarily and about 20 other Christmas food stalls in Birmingham were told to improve by hygiene inspectors.

Image source, Birmingham City Council

Birmingham City Council environmental health officials visited more 70 "high risk" vendors – selling cooked or open food – throughout the city centre’s three main Christmas events, the Frankfurt Market, Cathedral Market and City Social at the Mailbox.

While the majority of traders passed there were a number of businesses who were not up to standard and even failed inspections.

Allen Cook
BBC News

The family of a woman who was left to die by a multi-millionaire after "rough sex" says she could still be alive today if he'd gone for help.

Image source, Staffordshire Police

John Broadhurst, 40, admitted manslaughter at Birmingham Crown Court last week and was jailed today. He was cleared of her murder.

The 40-year-old told a 999 operator he found his partner "dead as a doughnut" at their home in Kinver, Staffordshire in December 2016.

In a statement after today's sentencing, her family says Broadhurst has never publicly apologised or shown any remorse for leaving Miss Connolly to die., external

They add that Natalie was a "loving mother" to her 10-year-old daughter and that she would remain in their "hearts and souls forever".

Hereford Times

A few of the headlines from the Hereford Times:

• Hereford firefighter was one of the heroes of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, external
• Herefordshire firms bring 24-hour power to Scottish islands, external
• Charity looking to support veterans, external

A businessman has been jailed today for three years and eight months for killing his girlfriend during "rough sex".

Image source, Staffordshire Police

Earlier this month, John Broadhurst, 40, of Wolverley, Worcestershire, admitted manslaughter and was cleared of murdering Natalie Connolly on the directions of the judge at his trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

Miss Connolly, 26, was pronounced dead on 18 December 2016 after Broadhurst called paramedics to their rented home in Kinver, Staffordshire.

Staffordshire Police said the mother-of-one was found with 40 separate injuries at the bottom of the stairs.

The leader of Shropshire Council says its finances are "in good shape" despite opposition claims it is on the brink of bankruptcy.

The Conservative-run authority outlined a number of cuts this month, , externalincluding taking £500,000 from the Public Health budget for this year alone.

Last month, bosses told its staff they must work from home one day a month in a bid to balance its budget with the council already predicting an £6.8m overspend for this financial year.

At the same time Chief Executive Clive Wright said he had been asked by the cabinet to implement a spending freeze with immediate effect.

From January, the Shirehall headquarters will also shut at noon on Fridays in a bid to cut lighting and heating costs.

Almost exactly a year ago, the council agreed to buy Shrewsbury's three main shopping centres in what's thought to be a £51m deal.

Opposition Labour group Leader Alan Mosley has now claimed its finances are in "disarray" and the government needs to step in to provide funding or "it will collapse".

Janbaz Tarin has pleaded guilty to murdering his ex-partner and her mother after a relationship breakdown.

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.

Allen Cook
BBC News

An image has been released of a woman police , externalwant to trace in connection with the suspected theft of around £13,000 of goods from online retailer Amazon.

Image source, Staffordshire Police

Officers say a lorry driver turned up to the Amazon depot in Trentham Lakes, Stoke-on-Trent, on 21 November and the vehicle was loaded up with items.

But the driver then didn't turn up to the next destination and police believe they've stolen the goods.

Shropshire Star

The Shropshire Star is featuring these stories today:

• Thank you for helping Matthew- life after DIY SOS for Telford family, external
• Former Shropshire teaching assistant get two years over indecent child images, external
• Bloodied man prowled Market Drayton streets armed with meat cleaver, external

BBC News England

People planning to drive during the Christmas getaway are being warned that part of the M6 in Staffordshire and Cheshire is likely to be one of the most congested roads in the country.

Image source, Google

Inrix, which provides traffic information, said the motorway north of Stoke-on-Trent was likely to be very slow, with warnings the journey to Wigan could take three hours longer than usual.

The predictions are based on analysis of traffic flows during previous Christmas getaways.

The M6 in Staffordshire and Cheshire's also going to have 40 miles of roadworks, which won't be lifted over the festive period, as they're in place for converting the route into a smart motorway.

Meanwhile, on the railways, late night and early morning Virgin Trains services between London Euston and Wolverhampton will start and terminate at Birmingham New Street on 27 and 28 December.

Traffic will be busiest on Thursday and Friday before rail engineering and strikes cause cancellations.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
David Lawrence

Too much funding by Coventry and Warwickshire's Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is being focussed on the city, with rural locations missing out, says a Green party councillor.

Image source, Google

The leader of the party in Warwickshire, Jonathan Chilvers said nearly three quarters of the money was ending up in Coventry, even though more people lived outside the city boundaries.

He's now calling for changes in the way funds are distributed.

The motion, launched at a recent Warwickshire County Council meeting, called on the LEP to "refine its priorities" so that bids had a more reasonable chance of success and was backed by all parties.

Sima Kotecha
Midlands Correspondent, BBC News

A man has pleaded guilty to stabbing his former partner and her mother to death in Solihull.

Image source, Family handout

Janbaz Tarin, 21, of Evelyn Road, Sparkhill, killed his ex wife Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khoala Saleem in late August after having a row with them earlier in the day.

Tarin was on the run after their murders and was caught by police after a manhunt was under way.

He entered his guilty pleas at Birmingham Crown Court today.