Midlands Live: Breaking news and local stories

Summary

Boy sentenced for stabbings near school
Birmingham bin dispute 'nearing an end'
Best friends killed in pub bombings found 'side by side'
Funeral date set for four children killed in fire
Attempted murder charge after man hit by van
School protests 'helping spread messages of division'
Updates from Friday 8 March 2019
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Live Reporting

'Greatest goalkeeper we've had' - Sir Geoff Hurstpublished at 12:50 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
Sir Geoff Hurst says it's a "very sad day" for him today as he arrived for the funeral of Gordon Banks this afternoon.
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He played with the Stoke City goalkeeper when England won the World Cup in 1966 and described his former team-mate as the "greatest goalkeeper we've had".
He added that it was a privilege to know him.
Order of service pays tribute to World Cup winnerpublished at 12:44 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
This is the front of the order of service for Gordon Banks's funeral today, which will take place at Stoke Minster from 13:30:
Image source, PA
Rare appearance of World Cup winnerspublished at 12:36 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
Dan Roan
BBC Sports editor
Crowds have arrived already at Stoke Minster, Stoke-on-Trent, this afternoon , externalahead of the funeral.
There will be a rare appearance by four of his team-mates from the England World Cup-winning side along with members of the current Stoke City side and from the 1972 League Cup-winners.
Standing ovation from Stoke City fanspublished at 12:29 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
Nick Clitheroe
BBC Midlands Today
Stoke City fans took to their feet inside the stadium as the funeral cortege of Gordon Banks entered.
Applause rang around the Bet365 Stadium as they gave their legendary goalkeeper a fitting send-off.
In photos: Funeral cortege arrives at stadiumpublished at 12:26 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
Allen Cook
BBC News
Applause greeted the arrival of the funeral cortege of England World Cup winner Gordon Banks at the Stoke City stadium this afternoon.
It's now heading around the city on a route which will end at Stoke Minster for the funeral service.
Image source, PA
Image source, Reuters
Cortege pauses at statue to England greatpublished at 12:19 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
Lee Blakeman
BBC Radio Stoke
Gordon Banks's funeral cortege has just left Stoke City's stadium and made its way across to his statue nearby.
Image source, PA
The monument's become a centre of tributes to the man who helped England win the World Cup and Stoke City to League Cup success.
As the hearse arrived at the statue, a beam of sunlight lit it up and the cortege paused in memory of the legendary figure of English football.
After leaving the stadium, it will head along Sir Stanley Matthews Way and down the A5035 through Blurton, Dresden and Longton.
It then travels down Anchor Road, Dividy Road, Werrington Road and Leek Road towards City Road and Old Boothen Road, where it will pass the old Victoria Ground site before heading to Stoke Minster.
Applause at Stoke City's stadiumpublished at 12:14 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
Allen Cook
BBC News
A large crowd of fans is now inside the Stoke City stadium to greet the arrival of the hearse carrying Gordon Banks this afternoon.
They chanted "England's number one" and applauded as it arrived.
Image source, Stoke City FC
Image source, Reuters
Fans assemble on cortege routepublished at 12:08 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
Jennie Aitken
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
It's not just at Stoke City's stadium where fans are gathering to pay their respects to Gordon Banks ahead of his funeral this afternoon.
With his cortege set to head through Stoke-on-Trent from 12:15, supporters are on Anchor Road with banners while they've also gathered at Stoke Minster, ahead of the service at 13:30.
Gordon Banks: 'You don't get too many like him'published at 12:06 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
Allen Cook
BBC News
Since the death of Gordon Banks last month, there has been an outpouring of tributes, not least in his adopted home city of Stoke-on-Trent.
Image source, AFP/Getty Images
Having moved to Stoke City in 1967, the goalkeeper made a 194 appearances for the Potters and wrote himself into folklore by helping them win the League Cup in 1972.
He went on to become president of the club in 2000 and in 2014 was given the freedom of Stoke-on-Trent, where he'd made his home.
Current Stoke City chairman Peter Coates said Banks "made his home in Stoke, and was very much part of the fabric of the club".
He added: "You don't get too many like him, and he was immensely modest for all his talent."
Gordon Banks funeral: Fans gather at Stoke City stadiumpublished at 11:57 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
Allen Cook
BBC News
Hundreds of football fans have gathered at Stoke City's stadium in Stoke-on-Trent this morning to add to the growing tributes to Gordon Banks.
His funeral cortege will leave the stadium at 12:15 and head around the city before getting to Stoke Minster for the service from 13:30.
Image source, Reuters
Image source, Reuters
Gordon Banks: From Sheffield to World Cup winnerpublished at 11:48 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
BBC Sport
Born in Sheffield, Banks started his career at Chesterfield, moving to Leicester in 1959 for £7,000, and it was there he established himself as England's number one, earning his first international cap in 1963 against Scotland.
Image source, PA
He played in every game of the 1966 World Cup campaign, culminating in the 4-2 victory over West Germany in the final at Wembley.
In eight years at Leicester, he was runner-up in two FA Cup finals and won the League Cup in 1964, before joining Stoke in 1967.
He stayed at the Potters until his retirement from professional football, winning the League Cup again in 1972.
'I was absolutely in awe of him'published at 11:39 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
John Bray
BBC News
Stoke City defender Mike Pejic pays tribute to Gordon Banks ahead of his former teammate's funeral.
Media caption,
Mike Pejic tribute to Gordon Banks ahead of his former teammate's funeral on Monday
Gordon Banks funeral: 'I love you, you're my hero'published at 11:30 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Fans have already been turning up at Stoke City's stadium this morning to pay tribute and remember Gordon Banks ahead of his funeral this afternoon.
Before the service, his cortege will leave the Bet365 Stadium at 12:15 and head around Stoke-on-Trent before arriving at Stoke Minster for the service at 13:30.
One of the supporters at the ground this morning is Maggie Kirby who told BBC Radio Stoke she saw Gordon Banks just a few months ago, when she saw him in the street from her car.
Quote Message
I just dropped my window down and shouted like an old fish wife 'Gordon Banks, I love you, you're my hero' and I was blowing kisses and he just stopped and he turned round and it's like a photographic memory to me, he just smiled and was blowing kisses back."
Maggie Kirby, Stoke City fan
Train hits fallen branchpublished at 11:30 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
BBC News Travel
A train has struck a fallen branch between Perry Bar and Witton, causing disruption to passengers.
Earlier delays caused by damage to overhead wires between Four Oaks, in Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield Trent Valley have now ended, said West Midlands Railway.
Three men stabbed in street fightpublished at 11:19 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
Lucy King
News Editor, BBC Radio Stoke
A man's been arrested after three men were stabbed in a fight.
Image source, Google
It happened yesterday afternoon on Nantwich Road, Crewe, police say, adding that none of the victims suffered life-threatening injuries.
They've arrested a 34-year-old man from Crewe on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and he's still in custody.
Pele tribute to Gordon Bankspublished at 11:14 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
John Bray
BBC News
This is how Brazil great Pele paid tribute to Gordon Banks in an address to his compatriots:
Media caption,
Pele tribute to Gordon Banks ahead of the former Stoke goalkeeper's funeral on Monday
In the papers: Arrests after swimming pool blazespublished at 11:08 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
Shropshire Star
Here are a few of the stories making the headlines on the Shropshire Star website:
Gordon Banks: From hauling coal to winning the World Cuppublished at 10:55 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
BBC Sport
The funeral of Gordon Banks will take place later today in Stoke-on-Trent.
The former England and Stoke City goalkeeper died in February at the age of 81.
Image source, Getty Images
Before his death, to mark his 80th birthday in December 2017, he spoke to the BBC to reflect on his life and career.
In his own words, he described his humble beginnings hauling coal in Sheffield to the triumph of the 1966 tournament and that save against Pele in 1970.
You can read the full version of the article here on the BBC website.
Rise in violence down to 'lethal combination' of cutspublished at 10:41 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
A "lethal combination" of cuts to police and local authority budgets is to blame for a rise in violent crime across the country, according to the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner.
A "large number" of children are being recruited into the drugs trade, who have been excluded from school said David Jamieson.
A rise in the drugs trade is helping to "normalise" violence, the Labour PCC told the Victoria Derbyshire programme.
Local authorities have "virtually ceased" to do youth work, he said.
The home secretary has condemned the "senseless violence" that has seen a rise in the number of teenagers being stabbed to death across the UK.
Aston Martin's electric SUV unveiled in Genevapublished at 10:31 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March 2019
Theo Leggett
BBC Business News Reporter
The Geneva International Motor Show, which gets under way in Switzerland this week, is one of the biggest events on the global auto industry calendar.
Electrification is likely to be the dominant theme at Geneva this year, and for good reason.
Image source, Aston Martin
Aston Martin's new electric sub-brand Lagonda will be showing off what it calls an "all-terrain concept", an upmarket SUV designed to rival the luxury Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
New European emissions regulations, which are being phased in from next year, will force manufacturers to reduce drastically the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by their cars, or face steep fines.