Summary

  • Live updates from Monday 17 June to Sunday 23 June

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  1. Funding to tackle 'knife crime emergency'published at 10:14 British Summer Time 24 June 2019

    West Midlands Police will spend £7m tackling knife crime after three teenagers died in 12 days.

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  2. Video: Your 50-second weather forecastpublished at 07:17 British Summer Time 24 June 2019

    It will be dry and bright at times but also some showers with highs of 22C (72F).

    Media caption,

    Latest weather for the West Midlands

  3. Midlands Live: Breaking news and local storiespublished at 06:52 British Summer Time 24 June 2019

    The latest news, sport, travel and weather across the West Midlands and south Cheshire.

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  4. The care home that built a replica High Streetpublished at 00:38 British Summer Time 24 June 2019

    A care home builds a 'sensory street' for residents - complete with tea room, sweet shop and butcher's.

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  5. Bears seize initiative against Surreypublished at 18:42 British Summer Time 23 June 2019

    Warwickshire's on-loan debutant Toby Lester takes 4-41 as the Bears bowl Surrey out for 194 on day one at The Oval.

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  6. Flights delayed due to airport fire alarmpublished at 17:03 British Summer Time 23 June 2019

    Thousands of passengers had to evacuate the terminal when alarms sounded during the afternoon.

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  7. 'Terrifying' weapons seized in brawlpublished at 15:28 British Summer Time 23 June 2019

    A sword, axe, hammers and serrated knives were recovered by police called to a street fight.

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  8. Driver had pint of Guinness in cup holderpublished at 14:26 British Summer Time 23 June 2019

    Several cans of stout and a quantity of drugs were also found in the car, police say.

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  9. Widow devastated after ashes stolenpublished at 11:51 British Summer Time 23 June 2019

    The casket was found lying by a roadside after being thrown from a car by burglars.

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  10. Celebrity doodles raise £8k for charitypublished at 18:06 British Summer Time 22 June 2019

    The money will go to the Anna Wilkinson Mockingbird Trust to fund trips for young cancer patients.

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  11. Golden duck for Bell in club comebackpublished at 15:39 British Summer Time 22 June 2019

    Warwickshire and England batsman Ian Bell is out first ball in a club game, his first since a toe injury in March.

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  12. Top officer's vow despite MND diagnosispublished at 12:30 British Summer Time 22 June 2019

    West Midlands Police's Assistant Chief Constable is refusing to let terminal illness stop him working.

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  13. Signed Everest book going up for auctionpublished at 11:21 British Summer Time 22 June 2019

    The novel is signed by Sir Edmund Hilary, Tenzing Norgay, Charles Wylie and Wilfrid Noyce.

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  14. Commonwealth stadium plans revealedpublished at 20:10 British Summer Time 21 June 2019

    Alexander Stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies as well as athletics.

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  15. Our live coverage across the weekpublished at 19:00 British Summer Time 21 June 2019

    Andy Giddings
    BBC News

    We'll be back with the news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 on Monday

  16. Council to pick up £3m bill over Islamic faith schoolpublished at 18:59 British Summer Time 21 June 2019

    Local Democracy Reporting Service
    Carl Jackson

    Birmingham City Council will be left with a £3m bill from Al-Hijrah School following a controversy about segregation at the school.

    Al-Hijrah SchoolImage source, Google

    The Islamic school in Bordesley Green, which catered for pupils aged 4-16 is to relocate, rename, have secondary years cut and become an academy from September.

    The move will draw a line under a lengthy saga of failings.

    A report, due to go to the council’s cabinet on Tuesday, has confirmed the authority will be left to pay the £2.9m "deficit balance", which could increase if the conversion is delayed.

  17. Plans for stadium redevelopment revealedpublished at 18:50 British Summer Time 21 June 2019

    Plans for the redevelopment of Birmingham's Alexandra stadium have been revealed by the city council., external

    It's going to be one of the key venues for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as athletics events.

    The work will increase its permanent capacity from 12,700 to 18,000, with the option of increasing that to 40,000 with temporary seating.

    Stadium plansImage source, Birmingham City Council

    The stadium will also get a new warm up track, and practice throwing field, plus new lighting and stadium lighting.

    An application to demolish the existing west stand, to make way for these changes, will be made in the summer.

    Stadium plansImage source, Birmingham City Council
    Stadium plansImage source, Birmingham City Council
  18. Video: What's the weather got in store?published at 18:41 British Summer Time 21 June 2019

    Rebecca Wood
    BBC Midlands Today

    It should be a dry night with largely clear skies and lows of 7C (45F).

    Media caption,

    Latest weather for the West Midlands

  19. Row over driving test centre closurespublished at 18:35 British Summer Time 21 June 2019

    Driving instructors in Staffordshire have hit out at the closure of driving test centres in Cannock and Stone.

    The South Staffordshire Association of Driving Instructors (SSADI), which has about 50 members, said the closures were expected to lead to delays for people booking their tests and longer journey times.

    Cannock Community Fire StationImage source, Google

    It is not the first time a Cannock test centre has shut. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA ) closed its site at Ridings Park in the town in February 2015, only to open on a part-time basis at the community fire station a year later.

    At the time, some driving instructors said they saw waits for tests rise from about six weeks to over 10.

    Chris Scott-Douglas, chair of SSADI, said he understood the need to move out of the Cannock fire station if it was not financially viable, but that an alternative site could have been found.

    He described the closure as "short-sighted" with an increase in development in the area meaning demand for driving tests was expected to increase.

    In response, DVSA Operations Manager John Selby said the Cannock base was only open two days a week. At Stone, he said the organisation was served notice by the landlord and would search for another suitable site.

    He said test centres at Featherstone, just seven miles from Cannock, and Lichfield would give candidates a "consistent service".