BBC Shropshire

A woman granted a temporary stay in the UK after being threatened with deportation has told the BBC it could be decades before she's 'totally free' to remain in the country.

Image source, Grahame French

Pauline Taylor-French, 45, fled Jamaica 17 years ago with her two daughters after suffering violent abuse.

She had lived legally in Shrewsbury, but was told in 2017 by the Home Office her right to remain had been refused.

Last week, the Home Office confirmed she was given leave to stay for 30 months after "a full review and reconsideration of the case".

Rich Davis
BBC Weather presenter

It will be a wet and rainy night with brisk winds and lows of 6C (43F).

Allen Cook
BBC News

A nurse is planning to swim the UK's longest river next month to thank a charity for funding her stem cell treatment., external

Image source, Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust

Melissa Compton, who works for Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, started open water swimming after a knee injury left her walking with a stick.

She had stem cell therapy for osteoarthritis with funding from Versus Athritis and will swim the 220-mile (350km) River Severn in June to thank them.

It will take her three weeks, swimming 10 to 12 miles a day, starting from the river's source in Mid-Wales and swimming through Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire and ending at Severn Beach.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Gurdip Thandi

Walsall Labour group has appointed a new leader as the party looks to rebuild following the local council elections.

Conservatives took a four-seat majority, in last week's local elecitons, for the first time since 2011.

Councillor Aftab Nawaz, who has represented the St Matthew’s ward since 2014, was unanimously voted in as the new leader following a meeting on Friday.

He replaces Sean Coughlan, who stepped down as leader last month.

The group also voted in Councillor Khizar Hussain – who has served the Pleck ward since 2011 – as their deputy leader, who takes over from Councillor Lee Jeavons.

Norman Smurthwaite, Port Vale's owner since 2012, sells the League Two club to local IT firm owners Carol and Kevin Shanahan.

A couple were allegedly spotted wheeling a pushchair and drinking beer before getting into a car.

Allen Cook
BBC News

The death of a woman whose body was found in a wooded area in Telford at the weekend is not being treated as suspicious, police have said., external

West Mercia Police said it received a call from a member of the public at about 16:00 BST on Saturday with concerns for a woman in a wooded area off Sutherland Road in Wellington.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

A report is being drawn up for the coroner.

BBC Shropshire

Plans to merge a county's two clinical commissioning groups are already meeting opposition, days after they came to light.

Image source, Seb_Ra/Getty Images

Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) said they have been set a target to cut running costs by 20%.

A report says it is felt a merger, which will cut down on duplication of work, is the best way to do this. , external

Shropshire CCG's chairman Julian Povey and Shrewsbury's Conservative MP Daniel Kawczynski , externalhave both backed the idea, saying it will save money and improve care.

But the leader of Telford and Wrekin Council, Labour councillor Shaun Davies, tweeted that he opposes the plans, external, adding 'this is bad news for our communities'.

Police believe a number of offenders arrived armed with baseball bats and an axe.

Uber drivers in Birmingham are planning to strike on Wednesday, ahead of the company's stock market flotation on Thursday.

Image source, Getty Images

Protests will be held in the city along with London, Nottingham and Glasgow, as well as a nine-hour boycott of the company's online app.

The United Private Hire Drivers Branch of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain said the flotation is going ahead even while drivers' pay issues remain unresolved.

An Uber spokeswoman said: "Drivers are at the heart of our service - we can't succeed without them - and thousands of people come into work at Uber every day focused on how to make their experience better, on and off the road.

Two teenage boys and a man are arrested following the shooting in Wolverhampton.

BBC News Travel

A broken down train between Coventry and Birmingham International means some lines are currently blocked, the National Rail Enquiries website reports., external

Train services running between these stations may be delayed by up to 30 minutes or cancelled. Disruption is expected until 17:00.

London Northwestern Railway services are currently unable to run between Coventry and Berkswell in the direction towards Birmingham.

Allen Cook
BBC News

A woman's been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving after a couple were spotted walking to a car with a pram while holding cans of beer.

They were seen by an off-duty police officer in Stafford who took a photo of the pair standing next to the vehicle.

Staffordshire Police said they then stopped the car yesterday and the female driver failed a breathalyser test., external

Ex-footballers play in The Nick Mowl Cup in Solihull to raise money towards male suicide prevention.

Shrewsbury Town defender Mat Sadler is looking for a new side, having not been offered a new deal by the League One club.

Coventry Live

Some of today's Coventry Live headlines are:

• Woman pleaded for help after she was knifed in neck and chest, external
• Murder investigation underway after body found in Bedworth, external
• Legal action started after travellers pitch up in Coventry, external

BBC Sport

Worcester Warriors fly-half Duncan Weir has been left out of Scotland's 42-man Rugby World Cup training squad.

Image source, Getty Images

The 27-year-old has played 27 times for his country and coach Gregor Townsend said there was still time for players to "play their way into the group".

It will eventually be cut to a 31-man group heading to the finals in Japan.

A body of a man was found in a house in Bedworth, Warwickshire, on Monday afternoon.

A woman has described hearing "two loud bangs" in an area where a 16-year-old boy was shot in the head.

The teenager is in a serious condition in hospital following the shooting in Graiseley Street in the Pennfields area of Wolverhampton just before 20:00 on Monday.

The neighbour, who asked to remain anonymous said she joked to her partner they were gunshots.

"I was standing in the kitchen cooking dinner when I heard two loud bangs. I joked and said to my partner 'did you hear those gunshots?' and he laughed," she said.

"Around 15 minutes later we saw an armed police car drive past. We walked outside to see about eight police cars, two ambulances and a helicopter.

"I really hope the young boy has a safe recovery, I've also contacted the council as I don't feel safe in my own home."

A show garden at this year's Chelsea Flower Show will celebrate a year of "clean and green community action".

Image source, Birmingham City Council

The team from Birmingham City Council has set its sights on winning an eighth gold medal.

The garden, designed in partnership with Baroness Floella Benjamin, will highlight the concern about micro-plastics using a model of a head made from more than 3,000 plastic tubes.

Image source, Birmingham City Council

The display will also include a road made from recycled tyres and will look at how different plants can be used to remove toxins from the environment, the city council said.