Summary

  • Updates from Monday 25 to Sunday 31 March

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Live Reporting

  2. More Telford homes to be refurbished for doctors

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    Work's about to start on refurbishing two more houses to accommodate doctors at a struggling hospital trust.

    Princess Royal Hospital sign

    In October, the leader of Telford and Wrekin Council, Shaun Davies, called for tradespeople to help refurbish three homes on the grounds of the Princess Royal Hospital.

    Now, the authority says, thanks to more donations of time and nearly £40,000 from the local community, they're going to revamp six houses in total.

    Work's already finished on two which the council says could take junior doctors when they qualify and they'll move on to the next two next week.

    The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust is currently in special measures.

  3. LGBT row school staff 'distraught'

    Hazel Pulley, CEO of the trust which runs Parkfield Community School, said classes have been paused.

    Read More

  4. 'Lorries of armed burglars' try to steal cigarettes

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    Two men have been arrested after armed burglars on four lorries tried to raid cigarettes from a warehouse.

    Weston Road, CreweGoogle

    Cheshire Police say they turned up last night on Weston Road, Crewe, threatened security staff and tried to steal trailers loads of cigarettes but fled empty-handed.

    The lorries were then tracked down to Chemical Lane, Stoke-on-Trent.

    Officers say a 67-year-old man from Coventry was arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary.

    A 57-year-old, of no fixed address, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary, theft of a motor vehicle and theft.

  5. Mother hoping for stem cell news soon for leukaemia boy

    BBC Hereford and Worcester

    The mother of a boy with leukaemia has said she's hoping to have confirmation this week that a stem cell transplant donor's been found.

    Oscar Saxelby-LeeFamily Handout

    Five-year-old Oscar Saxelby-Lee, from Worcester, needs to be in remission for the transplant to take place.

    He is now free of leukaemia blast cells and his mother Olivia said the procedure could happen as soon as next month if a suitable donor was found.

    Events have been run across the country to encourage thousands of people to join the stem cell register in a bid to find him a possible donor.

    I'm hoping for some news, I really am because I know it's a lot to ask but, at the same time, Oscar's our world and we just need to get him into transplant and home where he belongs."

    Olivia Saxelby, Mother

  7. Stoke City look for long-term future with Nathan Jones

    Matt Sandoz
    Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

    Stoke City's vice-chairman John Coates says their current manager Nathan Jones is the perfect man to take the club forward.

    Nathan JonesReuters

    Jones was appointed in January after Gary Rowett was sacked with the Potters 14th in the Championship and just eight wins from 26 league fixtures.

    Stoke are now 16th but unbeaten since 9 February.

    He's very focused on us building a squad that can challenge for the right end of the Championship table and hopefully, eventually, get us promoted."

    John Coates, Stoke City's vice-chairman

  8. Three arrests over stabbing

    Three people have been arrested on suspicion of wounding after a man was stabbed in the thigh.

    The HeightsGoogle

    Officers were called to student accommodation The Heights, on Staniforth Street, Birmingham, at about 16:45 on Saturday.

    It's believed the 19-year-old was approached by four men and was stabbed as he tried to run away, police said.

    He remains in hospital with injuries which are not believed to be life-changing.

    Two men aged 18 and 20 and a 16-year-old boy have all been bailed pending further inquiries.

  9. Reinstate LGBT classes, says Sir Michael Wilshaw

    A former chief inspector of schools said LGBT rights lessons should be reinstated, despite parents' protests.

    Sir Michael Wilshaw

    The No Outsiders programme at five Birmingham schools stopped when parents said it was age-inappropriate and incompatible with Islam.

    Sir Michael Wilshaw, the former head of Ofsted, said people had to accept they were "living in this country with the values that this country holds".

    But he said schools had to ensure they "properly consulted" parents.

  10. Group hits out at 'appalling' recycling bank closures

    Local Democracy Reporting Service
    Andrew Morris

    A litter picking group has said a decision by a council to close 120 recycling sites is "appalling" and will lead to more fly-tipping.

    One of the recycling sites in OswestryGoogle

    Shropshire Council's cabinet approved the move last week and said shutting the 'bring back' sites would save £270,000-a-year.

    But the Much Wenlock Voluntary Litter Picking Group has told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that they fear the cost of collecting fly-tipping will "far exceed" that saving.

    However, the council says most recycling's now collected from homes and many of the bring back sites contain contaminated waste which can't be recycled.

  11. Air ambulance charity donation after crash death

    A donation of £2,500 has been given to Warwickshire's air ambulance charity by the family of a man who died in a motorcycle crash.

    Ian CockerillFamily handout

    Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) received the donation in memory of Ian Andrew Cockerill who died in a motorcycle accident in January.

    Ian’s wife Kim, along with her and Ian’s two daughters Emma and Abbie, asked for donations in memory of Ian to the WNAA, rather than flowers at his funeral.

  12. In the papers: Officer hurled racist abuse at takeaway staff

    Birmingham Live

    Some of today's headlines in the Birmingham Mail are:

  13. M6 £265m upgrade opens in Cheshire

    A £265m project to upgrade a stretch of the M6 to a smart motorway between Crewe and Knutsford has been completed.

    M6 motorwayHighways England

    A fourth lane has been built in each direction with new signage, traffic sensors and CCTV cameras to help tackle congestion for the 120,000 drivers who use it each day, Highways England said.

    Smart motorways operate variable speed limits to improve journey times.

    Highways England said it was "the biggest upgrade to the M6 since it opened in Cheshire about 60 years ago".

  14. 'My heart's gone with my daughter'

    Diana Johnston says she would not have given consent to have all Rachel's teeth removed.

    Read More

  15. Severn Valley Railway secures funds for eroded viaduct

    BBC Hereford and Worcester

    A heritage railway says a lottery grant will help secure the long-term future of an historic viaduct in Worcestershire.

    Falling Sands viaductSevern Valley Railway

    The National Lottery Heritage Fund's given the Severn Valley Railway £853,800 which will be used to restore Falling Sands Viaduct, near Kidderminster station.

    The group says it'll be added to £397,000 which it's raised and will also be used for talks and exhibitions about the railway's early history.

    The viaduct was built in 1877 and is made up of seven arches crossing 64ft (20m) above the River Stour.

  16. 'No-one told me this was a good idea'

    Trainer Kerry Lee turns jockey to ride in the St Michael's Hospice Charity Race at her local Hereford track.

    Read More

  18. Consortium 'wants to buy Port Vale', owner says

    Lee Blakeman
    Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

    Port Vale's owner Norman Smurthwaite has told BBC Radio Stoke that an Asian consortium is willing to buy the club and he will give them until 5 May to look at their accounts.

    Norman SmurthwaiteGetty Images

    He's said the consortium is willing to pay £2.8m but will lease the ground from him.

    Mr Smurthwaite says they want to pay £100,000 as an exclusivity payment to have time to loook at the club's finances and that will run out on 5 May.

    That date is the deadline the Vale's owner has set for a buyer for the club to be found, otherwise he will put them into administration.

  19. Unexploded bomb removed from site

    A device, believed to be an unexploded World War Two bomb, has been removed from the site in Stechford where it was discovered earlier, the city council has confirmed.

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