Summary

  • Updates from Monday 24 June to Sunday 30 June

  • Click Related Stories to read updates from your part of the Midlands

  1. 'Hair chair' artist says creation is 'a bit itchy'published at 16:03 British Summer Time 28 June 2019

    Reaction has been "positive" to the seat made from barbers' off-cuts - and back hair from a friend.

    Read More
  2. Students face repeating year as school closespublished at 15:49 British Summer Time 28 June 2019

    'Heartbreak' for 'distraught' pupils midway through GCSE and A-level courses.

    Read More
  3. Union to ballot for national rail strikepublished at 15:30 British Summer Time 28 June 2019

    BBC Business News

    The RMT union says it is preparing to ballot for the first national rail strike since privatisation more than 20 years ago.

    It says it has written to transport secretary Chris Grayling, the industry's regulator, all the train operating companies and the Rail Delivery Group to spell out that if there is a move to impose reductions in future pension benefits, or significantly increase member contributions, it will take the "necessary action" to defend pensions.

    Train at stationImage source, Getty Images

    Mick Cash, general secretary, said: "If it takes the first national rail strike in a generation to defend our members pensions then so be it".

  4. Hungry child collapsed at school says MPpublished at 15:20 British Summer Time 28 June 2019

    A scheme to feed hungry children in Stoke-on-Trent over the summer holidays proved so popular that it ran out of food.

    Read More
  5. Fake letter warns of debit card combustionpublished at 15:17 British Summer Time 28 June 2019

    The letter warns debit cards could combust due to a fault in a factory in "Molton Keynes".

    Read More
  6. Your photos: Basking in the sunpublished at 15:13 British Summer Time 28 June 2019

    BBC Weather Watchers

    Our BBC Weather Watchers have been basking in the sun this morning across the West Midlands.

    We have more photos of brilliant blue skies, this time from users Foggy in Ludlow, Shropshire, Sarahlou86 in Stone, Staffordshire and Custard Lodge in Pershore, Worcestershire:

    LudlowImage source, Foggy
    StoneImage source, Sarahlou86
    PershoreImage source, Custard Lodge
  7. Boots to shut 200 storespublished at 14:53 British Summer Time 28 June 2019

    Boots has announced it is to close 200 stores across the UK.

    It is not clear at the moment which stores will be affected, but they are expected to be local pharmacy branches where there are other stores nearby,

    Boots storeImage source, Getty images

    It is also unclear how many jobs will be affected, but Boots said it would find new roles for staff where possible.

  8. Man hit by bus taken to hospitalpublished at 14:40 British Summer Time 28 June 2019

    A man has been taken to hospital after being hit by a bus in Coventry this morning.

    Scene of crash

    His injuries weren't suspected to be serious, said the ambulance service, after the incident on Ironmonger Row in the city centre at about 11:30.

  9. Bar punch death attacker jailedpublished at 14:30 British Summer Time 28 June 2019

    Kristian O'Hara, 32, was jailed for six years for the manslaughter of Mohammed Faisal outside a bar.

    Read More
  10. More than £30m awarded for City of Culturepublished at 14:24 British Summer Time 28 June 2019

    Funding worth £31.6m is to be spent to boost Coventry's "cultural identity and reputation" before its tenure as City of Culture 2021.

    The Wave

    Street lighting and cycle links will be created with other improvements to the roads and canal tow paths.

    The city originally applied for £61.6m from the West Midlands Combined Authority, however in light of "availability within the timescales required" it has been reduced.

    About £6.4m will be spent on leisure facilities in the city across seven different sites including the area around new water park, The Wave.

    Pool Meadow

    About £2m will be spent on improving the area around the Pool Meadow bus station and White Street.

  11. Lorry fire extinguishedpublished at 14:05 British Summer Time 28 June 2019

    A lorry fire on the M6 in Warwickshire has been extinguished says Highways England.

    Two lanes of three are still closed with seven miles of queuing traffic in the area.

    Lorry after fire extinguishedImage source, Highways England
    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  12. Nearly 200 families turn up for free mealpublished at 13:47 British Summer Time 28 June 2019

    MPs want an inquiry into 'missing' money destined to hep feed the poorest children

    Read More
  13. Listeria outbreak sandwich firm 'goes into liquidation'published at 13:38 British Summer Time 28 June 2019
    Breaking

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    A food supplier linked to a listeria outbreak says it is to go into liquidation, with the loss of 125 jobs, just two days after being told it could restart production.

    The Good Food Chain baseImage source, Google

    On Wednesday, the Food Standards Agency said the Good Food Chain in Stone, Staffordshire, was no longer part of its investigation into the source of the outbreak, which has been linked to the deaths of five hospital patients.

    The company had voluntarily ceased manufacturing on 5 June but today said that move had been "too great for the business to remain viable".

  14. Arrest after resident 'took photo of burglar'published at 13:14 British Summer Time 28 June 2019

    Lee Thomas
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    A man has been arrested after a resident snapped a photo of a burglar he disturbed at his home, police said. , external

    Heath StreetImage source, Google

    Staffordshire Police said the householder had arrived home on Heath Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, yesterday afternoon and found the intruder.

    A 29-year-old man from the town's been arrested on suspicion of burglary and is in custody.

  15. River Severn swim nurse aims to finish challenge tomorrowpublished at 13:00 British Summer Time 28 June 2019

    BBC Shropshire

    A nurse forced to twice halt her attempt to swim the length of the River Severn is hoping to finish it tomorrow.

    Melissa Compton

    Earlier this month, Melissa Compton, an intensive care nurse at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, started the 220-mile challenge in Wales at the river's source.

    Since then, she's had to stop in Shropshire after the river burst its banks in heavy rain and then she was hospitalised this week after "swallowing sewage".

    Ms Compton was back in the water yesterday and reached Gloucester,, external not far from her finishing point at Severn Beach in the Bristol Channel.

  16. Huge plumes of smoke from M6 lorry firepublished at 12:51 British Summer Time 28 June 2019

    BBC News Travel

    A lane's shut on the M6 near Coventry this afternoon due to a lorry fire.

    Highways England said the blaze, external between J3A and J3 was producing "considerable amounts of smoke".

    Smoke from fire on M6Image source, @JamesNWatson18
  17. Thief who 'pushed toddler into road' jailedpublished at 12:40 British Summer Time 28 June 2019

    A woman who pushed a toddler in a pushchair into the middle of a busy road while attempting to steal a mobile phone has been jailed

    Anne-Marie CadetteImage source, West Midlands Police

    Anne-Marie Cadette launched the "shocking" attack on a 29-year-old mum as she pushed her 22-month-old son along Coventry Road, Birmingham in May, police said.

    The 38-year-old from the Small Heath area of the city attempted to snatch the mobile phone, before lunging for shopping bags from the back of the stroller, officers said.

    She was sentenced to three years and four months at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to attempted robbery.