Sandish Shoker
BBC News

A convicted burglar and thief has absconded from HMP Sudbury.

Nathan Richardson was seen leaving the Derbyshire prison at about 13:00 yesterday before getting into a black BMW and driving off towards Ashbourne.

Police said the 35-year-old, who was jailed for three-and-a-half years last April, also has links to Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

Image source, Derbyshire Constabulary

Richardson has a tattoo saying "Kyan" on the right-hand side of his neck, "Leanne" written on his left wrist and "Danielle" on his right leg.

Derbyshire police asked people not to approach him but to call them if he is spotted.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman's body was found.

The death of the 35-year-old, found at a house in Seven Foot Lane, Nuneaton, last night, as "unexplained", police say.

Paramedics reported the death to police shortly after 23:20.

Warwickshire Police said officers are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious in the area.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Dare

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) spent a total of £114,000 on a failed effort to integrate the fire service with the authority, it has been revealed.

The proposals, which predate the appointment of Andy Street as mayor of the West Midlands, would have seen the WMCA take over the governance of the fire service later this year.

It was confirmed during the WMCA’s board meeting on Friday that the merger had been scrapped, after four of the seven constituent authorities voted against implementing the Home Office’s proposals.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Davis

The number of homeless households in temporary accommodation increased by 186% in Coventry since 2015/16, costing the council £5.5m last year, a meeting was told.

Image source, Coventry City Council

Coventry’s housing and homelessness budget was set at £5.9m last year but the authority overspent by £3m, spending just under £9m overall - £5.5m of this on emergency accommodation.

New figures were highlighted in a report looking at a 12-month review of the Homelessness Reduction Act, which came into force nationally on April 3 last year.

The main reasons for homelessness in Coventry are family evictions, domestic violence and end of private rented tenancy, the meeting was told.

Jim Crawshaw, head of housing, said: "Over the years the number of households in temporary accommodated has increased by 186 per cent.

"What I would say is for a number of years the city had a very low number, given the size of the city.

"Our team are providing a good service, we are still learning and that is the case across the country."

Press Association

A "combination of uncertainties" has led to a delay in a decision over which company will operate HS2 services.

Image source, Alstrom

A decision over the West Coast partnership franchise was due to be awarded in June, with the winning bidder running trains on the West Coast Main Line and HS2 services between London and Birmingham.

Sim Harris, managing editor of industry newspaper Railnews, told the PA news agency that a "combination of uncertainties" have left the Department for Transport (DfT) "a bit worried" about who should be handed the franchise.

Mr Harris said he would not be surprised if the DfT decided to cancel the WCP competition and "start again with something different".

West Bromwich Albion boss Slaven Bilic brings former West Ham team-mate Julian Dicks onto his coaching staff.

Birmingham Live

Some of the Birmingham Live headlines:

• Thug rips out female cop's hair and smashes her head, external
• Man who drowned trying save child from Chasewater reservoir named, external
• Fungi's devastated nephew pays tribute to 'kind-hearted great guy', external

Moorland devastated by a large fire nearly a year ago is showing signs of recovery, the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has said.

More than 150 acres of The Roaches was damaged when a camp fire got out of control. The conservation group has been working to irrigate the soil and plant new seeds.

Image source, Rod Kirkpatrick

"We're starting to see tiny green shoots of heather shooting up all over the place, " John Lowe from the trust said.

He said he has also seen grass and billberry plants returning recently.

BBC News Travel

A fault with barriers at a level crossing between Newtown and Caersws is still causing disruption to services between Shrewsbury and Machynlleth, the Network Rail website reports, external.

Trains may be delayed by up to 60 minutes or cancelled until at least 14:00.

A fire involving 1,800 potato boxes in Herefordshire reached temperatures of 800C said the fire service.

Image source, Hereford and Worcester Fire Service

Crews were unable to save the crates, after the fire broke out on farmland next to Shobdon airfield, near Pembridge.

Image source, Hereford and Worcester Fire Service

The incident is being treated as a suspected arson attack.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
James Harrison

Away fans for Sunderland’s upcoming games against Portsmouth and Coventry will be capped following fan trouble at last season’s ties.

Both games, which fell towards the end of the Black Cats’ unsuccessful campaign for promotion from League One, were marred by objects being thrown from the visitors’ section.

The disturbances led to "discussions" between Northumbria Police and the club recommending limiting Portsmouth to 2,000 tickets and Coventry to just 1,500, which was agreed by Sunderland City Council’s Regulatory Committee.

According to a council officer, Coventry fans discharged pyrotechnics and threw objects into home fans below at the match on 13 April.

A "number of pyrotechnic devices recovered in the approaches" to the Stadium of Light" and a delay to restarting the game against Portsmouth on 27 April due to safety concerns.

BBC Radio Stoke Sport

The Stoke City manager Nathan Jones says he's happy to be judged on his results from now on - because he's had a full off-season to put together the team he wants.

He took over in January and finished a disappointing 16th in the Championship, but has now overhauled his squad, with six new players joining in the summer transfer window.

Image source, Getty Images

Jones said: "It's given me four months to evaluate what I need to do and now I'm pretty clear on what I want and what we do and now I can be judged."

The 23 players in Phil Neville's squad include 16 linked to the north and just three from the south.

Express and Star

Some of today's headlining stories on the Express and Star website are:

• Passer-by who saved young girl tells of sorrow over death, external
• Bakery fined £20k after mouse droppings and filthy conditions found, external
• Cycling boost for commuters using West Midlands train stations in £740k scheme, external

Carl Storer, 21, and the girl he tried to rescue were "family friends", police say.

A man has been charged after a 48-year-old was stabbed in Lichfield.

Officers were called to Broadbent Close in the city at about 04:00 on Saturday.

The man was taken to hospital suffering injuries not thought to be life-threatening.

A 59-year-old was charged with wounding with intent, possessing an offensive weapon and criminal damage.

Coventry Live

Some of the headlines on the Coventry Live website:

• 'Life changing injuries' suffered in crash between car and taxi, external
• Shock reason new Nuneaton secondary school plans stalled, external
• Mum to stand trial accused of murdering young daughters, external

Thousands of cricket fans will be making their way to Edgbaston today for the Cricket World Cup clash between Bangladesh and India.

Gates opened at 08:30 and a special shuttle bus will operate between Birmingham New Street and the stadium.

BBC News Travel

A fault with barriers at a level crossing, external between Newtown and Caersws is causing disruption to trains between Shrewsbury and Machynlleth, the Network Rail website reports.

Trains may be delayed by up to 40 minutes or cancelled until approximately 10:00.

A long-running campaign encouraging councils to let neatly-mown grass verges become mini meadows where wildflowers and wildlife can flourish appears to be building up a head of steam.

Image source, Green Estate

Several have taken the message on board.

An eight-mile "river of flowers" alongside a major route in Rotherham was widely praised on social media recently , externaland roadside meadows have also popped up in Birmingham and Coventry.

You can read more about the story here.