In the papers: Sheep return prompts dog warningpublished at 14:18 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
The Worcester News' headlines today include:
Summary
Teens jailed for meat cleaver and knife-point robberies
Woman 'critical' after bag snatch attack
Laxative 'spike' pharmacist cleared
Homeless base shuts over safety concerns
Former defence secretary denies Huawei leak
Polls open till 22:00 in local council elections
Updates from Thursday 2 May
Click related stories to read updates from your area
In the papers: Sheep return prompts dog warningpublished at 14:18 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
Health contract ends over funding gappublished at 14:16 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
Virgin Care says it cannot subsidise the £1m gap in funding from the CCG to run the contract.
Read MoreWarriors lock tipped for England careerpublished at 14:09 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
Worcester boss Alan Solomons tips young lock Andrew Kitchener to play for England after handing him a first senior contract.
Read MoreCity's 'tallest building' plan revealedpublished at 13:59 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
Developers hope to build the 51-storey One Eastside residential tower in Birmingham city centre.
Read MoreCity's 'tallest building' plan revealedpublished at 13:57 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
Plans for what would be Birmingham's tallest ever building have been revealed.
Read More'No profits' in elderly healthcare for Virgin Carepublished at 13:57 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
Allen Cook
BBC NewsVirgin Care's decision to pull out of running a community care programme in Staffordshire appears to be mainly down to the cost of the scheme to the private firm.
Image source, Getty ImagesWhen it was announced by East Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group in 2015, health officials spoke of it bringing, external "real improvement" to the lives of frail, elderly patients and people with long-term health conditions.
But in revealing it is cancelling the contract from next April, three years before the scheme was due to end, Virgin Care revealed it had never made a profit so far and admitted it couldn't cover the cost of running the services in the future.
The firm put a figure of £1m on the difference between the funding provided by the CCG and how much more the services were going to cost Virgin Care.
Clinical commissioners in response say they're confident of getting a new provider in to take on the contract from 9 April 2020.
Operation targets modern slavery victimspublished at 13:42 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
BBC ShropshireFast food outlets, restaurants and car washes in Telford have been targeted in a joint operation to raise awareness of modern slavery.
The Home Office estimates there are 13,000 victims in the UK, with offences including labour exploitation and human trafficking.
The play-off contenders who cannot go uppublished at 13:33 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
A restructuring of the non-league pyramid means some play-off winners will not go up - BBC Sport speaks to some of those affected.
Read MoreNo public inquiry into visitor attraction building workspublished at 13:25 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
BBC ShropshireA request for the government to look again at a planning decision for a Shropshire tourist attraction has been withdrawn.
Image source, GoogleYesterday, Shropshire Council's planning committee, external gave retrospective planning permission to Oswestry's British Ironwork Centre for unauthorised building works.
But, ahead of the meeting, a member of the public wrote in asking for a public inquiry.
However, that request was withdrawn and a government spokesperson says, as a result, the Secretary of State has no further interest in the case
Man, 21, shot in face at flatpublished at 13:24 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
The victim suffered life-threatening injuries in the shooting in Birmingham.
Read MoreTwitter users celebrate Staffordshire Daypublished at 13:08 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
Allen Cook
BBC NewsPeople across Staffordshire having been celebrating their county online to mark Staffordshire Day.
The occasion was started in 2016 with organisations holding events and people tweeting their favourite places in the area:
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End of twitter post 3'Access blocked to illegal waste site'published at 12:56 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
The Environment Agency says it has blocked access to an illegal waste site in Birmingham, using new legal powers for the first time.
Image source, Environment AgencyIt said it took the action following an investigation into TP & G Specialists Limited which revealed the firm was operating without an environmental permit and causing emissions such as dust and smoke which were affecting neighbouring properties.
It said the restriction order, granted by Birmingham Magistrates' Court, was the first of its kind - restricting access to the site and prohibiting waste from being accepted on to the site for the next six months.
Image source, Environment AgencyYour photos: Blue skies or grey cloudspublished at 12:44 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
It's a mixed bag today in terms of the weather across the West Midlands, at least as far as the photos from our local BBC Weather Watchers show.
Either grey cloud or blue skies in these three from users Chris n Ginny in Lickey End, Worcestershire, Littleacorns in Southam, Warwickshire and Laura and Glenn in Cradley Heath, Sandwell:
Image source, Chris n Ginny
Image source, Littleacorns
Image source, Laura and GlennIn the papers: Dozens object to new housing planspublished at 12:34 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
The Hereford Times has these headlines today:
Virgin Care cancels NHS contract for elderly carepublished at 12:22 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
Allen Cook
BBC NewsPrivate firm Virgin Care is pulling out of an NHS contract in Staffordshire to provide community care to frail, elderly patients and people with long-term health conditions.
Image source, ThinkstockThe company's confirmed to the BBC that it'll terminate its contract with East Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) from next year because it can't afford to meet a £1m funding gap to run the contract.
The scheme was announced in 2015 , externaland saw Virgin Care running the Improving Lives programme for the CCG including district nursing and remotely monitoring conditions like diabetes.
The clinical commissioning group says it'll start looking for a new provider "in the coming months" and expects to have them in place by 9 April 2020.
Hostel expansion plans unveiledpublished at 12:12 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl JacksonThe YMCA has unveiled new expansion plans for one of its Birmingham hostels which would create dozens more temporary homes.
Image source, Vivid ArchitectsThe charity has submitted a proposal to the city council to demolish abandoned squash courts at its Northfield facility on Bunbury Road and develop a new four-storey building providing 27 "move-on" units.
A sports hall would also be expanded and improved to make it accessible for disabled people for the first time.
The new residential building would accommodate residents who require less support from staff and are ready for more independent living, but who are also struggling to find a home elsewhere.
It would generally house people coming from the main YMCA accommodation block on the site which has undergone a £3.6m modernisation programme in the last two years and has since been renamed Magdalene Court.
Hospital introduces car park changespublished at 12:02 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
Sarah Robertson
Journalist, BBC Radio StokeNew parking controls cameras have come into force at Staffordshire's main hospital this morning.
Image source, UHNMFrom 07:00, patients and visitors no longer pay up front at two of the car parks at the Royal Stoke University Hospital. , external
The NHS trust running the hospital says instead, people using car parks H and I now enter their vehicle registration before leaving to find out how much they owe.
They say parking charges remain the same, although the trust did raise them from 1 April, starting at £1.90 for an hour., external
Defender wants to overcome injury for final gamepublished at 11:49 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio StokeStoke City defender Tom Edwards says he wants to play in their final game of the season despite struggling with an injury.
Image source, Getty ImagesHe missed their trip to Milwall at the weekend because of it but told BBC Radio Stoke he wants to play in the home game with Sheffield United.
Quote MessageI've had a niggle in my hip for quite a while now but I'm trying to push myself to get the last game of the season under my belt. They're already up and we just want to prove to people that we're a good side as well so we'll try our best to win the game."
Tom Edwards, Stoke City defender
In the papers: Retail plan gets national interestpublished at 11:37 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
The Shropshire Star's main headlines today include:
Man shot in the facepublished at 11:04 British Summer Time 1 May 2019
BreakingA man is in a critical condition, after being shot in the face at an address in Birmingham.
Image source, Bearded BrosOfficers were called to Edgbaston Road, Balsall Heath, by the ambulance service, after a 21-year-old man was found in cardiac arrest with life-threatening injuries.
He was rushed to hospital and underwent emergency surgery.
A cordon remains in place to allow for a full forensic examination to take place.
The investigation is at an early stage and officers say they are keeping an open mind regarding the circumstances and motive for the incident.
