Midlands Live: Breaking news and local stories

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Live updates from Monday 1 July to Sunday 7 July
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Live Reporting

Carriage number shake-up on Birmingham servicespublished at 18:20 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
Extra carriages are going to be added to some peak-time railway services in Birmingham from next week - but it'll mean fewer at other times.
Image source, West Midlands Railway
West Midlands Railway is making the changes from Tuesday 9 July to trains to and from Birmingham Snow Hill. , external
One example sees the number of carriages on the 17:13 departure to Worcester Shrub Hill increase from four to five, on Tuesdays to Fridays.
Meanwhile, the 07:41 Stratford-upon-Avon to Snow Hill service is among those to lose out, shedding three carriages.
In the papers: Two found stabbed on roadpublished at 18:17 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
Birmingham Live
From Birmingham Live:
Man dies in two-car crash at junctionpublished at 18:10 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
Allen Cook
BBC News
A man's died in a crash in Staffordshire, police say., external
Image source, Google
A Ford Focus and a Land Rover collided at the junction of Stile Cop Road and Hednesford Road, Rugeley, just before 10:30.
Police said the 79-year-old died at the scene.
Birds rescued by police after crashpublished at 18:01 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
Allen Cook
BBC News
Several birds have been rescued by police, external after the car in which they were being transported was involved in a crash this morning.
Image source, Staffordshire Police
Staffordshire Police said the two-car collision happened at the junction of King Street and Northcote Place, Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Both drivers were taken to hospital after suffering slight injuries, with officers arranging for the birds' care.
Police name paramedic killed in ambulance crashpublished at 17:50 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
Breaking
A trainee paramedic killed in an ambulance crash in Burton-upon-Trent yesterday was 31-year-old Tammy Minshall from Stretton, Staffordshire, police say.
She died after the ambulance collided with a BMW at the junction of Belmot Road and Anslow Road.
Image source, Family photo
'I was tracking everything I was eating'published at 17:47 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
Jake Henderson says using an app allowed his eating disorder to spiral.
Read More
Apology over council attendance rowpublished at 17:45 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
Local Democracy Reporting Service
The leader of the Liberal Democrats on Shropshire Council has apologised to a Labour member who was told she had lost her seat through lack of attendance.
The Labour group said Jane MacKenzie had taken time off to care for her terminally-ill daughter, and had been seeking an explanation from Roger Evans following a leaked email from the council's chief executive which confirmed he had asked for her attendance to be investigated.
Ms MacKenzie said she was shocked to find out on Monday she would have to face a by-election on the grounds she hadn't attended a meeting for six months.
The council back-tracked the following day after discovering she had been to a meeting away from the council headquarters.
Mr Evans said he was representing a member of the public who had raised concerns and said he was "disappointed" with the way the situation had developed, apologising to Ms MacKenzie for the stress caused.
Geoff Thomas plans final Tour de France charity ridepublished at 17:32 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
BBC Midlands Today
Former England, Wolves and Crewe Alexandra footballer Geoff Thomas says he will cycle the full Tour de France route for the last time in 2020.
In 2003, the 54-year-old was given three months to live after being diagnosed with leukaemia.
Two years later, and just months after finding out he was in remission from cancer, he first took on the full route of the cycling event for charity, one day ahead of the professionals.
Cure Leukaemia today announced he'll ride it again for one final time next year and is looking for 14 amateur cyclists to join him to help raise £1m., external
Teenager who died was 'a mother figure'published at 17:25 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
Inquest hears more evidence
Mark Denten
BBC Look North
A teenager who was found at a County Durham secure children's home with a ligature around her neck had become a mother figure to other residents, an inquest heard today.
Taylor Alice Williams, 17, from Worcester, was found by staff at Aycliffe Secure Centre on 18 February last year.
The manager at the centre, Caroline Eubank, told the inquest that Taylor was "a very complex young lady".
Image source, Nick Holden
She said her levels of self-harm varied but her mood would very quickly drop and she would try to find any implement to harm herself.
She said that Taylor would make ligatures out of strips of material from her trousers and T-shirts and hide them in her underwear.
There had been 34 incidents of the teenager self-harming when she arrived at the centre in July 2016 but that had dropped to one by February last year
Ms Eubank said she showed a real interest in staff asking about their holidays and that she had become "a bit of a house mother" making sure that other residents ate their meals.
"She had a place and understood that she was valued."
The inquest continues.
Stuart is the strong arm of the lawpublished at 17:20 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
A Shropshire man has been crowned the UK's strongest police officer.
Det Const Stuart Edwards, who is based in Shrewsbury, had to complete a series of trials at the finals in Lincolnshire, including pulling a 10 tonne truck.
Image source, West Mercia Police
Mr Edwards also had to lift a variety of objects, including large Atlas stones.
He said it took 16 weeks to prepare for the event and during that time he consumed nearly 500,000 calories.
Bid to scrap plans for new £3.25m youth centrepublished at 17:10 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Joe Burn
Plans to build a £3.25m youth hub in the centre of Stoke-on-Trent should be scrapped, opposition councillors have said.
Image source, Stoke-on-Trent City Council
In October, the city council approved the proposals for part of Hanley's former East-West Precinct, which is currently being demolished.
But two Labour councillors have tabled a motion for this afternoon's full council meeting,, external demanding the scheme be ended.
They've said young people won't travel to such a hub in Hanley and instead want the cash spent on youth services for the whole city.
But the Conservative-independent coalition running the council say the money for the hub is the "starter money for greater things in the area".
Ambulance staff 'hurting' after colleague's deathpublished at 17:05 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
West Midlands Ambulance Service said staff were being supported after the death of a student paramedic in a crash.
Read More
In the papers: Teen forced to drink urinepublished at 17:04 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
Coventry Live
From Coventry Live:
- Teen forced to drink urine and act like a dog, external
- Couple left dogs suffering with painful skin conditions, external
- Man dies after car collides with tree, external
Cold case rapist caught minutes before take-offpublished at 16:56 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
Mohammed Ibrar Aslam was arrested on a plane leaving the UK 18 years after the attack.
Read More
Assisted dying campaigner says law 'ripe for abuse'published at 16:51 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
A debate on assisted dying is taking place in the House of Commons today and Shropshire campaigner Noel Conway says something has to change, because current laws are "ripe for abuse".
Mr Conway was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2014. He has been fighting a court battle with the help of campaign group Dignity in Dying to legally secure medical assistance to end his life.
An issue Mr Conway hopes will be discussed later is the practice of people seeking assisted dying abroad amid the lack of provision in the UK, making it harder, campaigners say, to monitor overseas process.
He said "it's very difficult to investigate a case when the person is already dead" and "whether they were influenced unduly or not".
The 68-year-old former lecturer from Garmston only has full control of his head, neck, and voice, and breathes with the aid of a ventilator.
Today's debate is being introduced by Nick Boles MP from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Choice at the End of Life.
Plans for crematorium rejected amid RAF concernspublished at 16:46 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Plans for a new crematorium between Shrewsbury and Oswestry have been rejected by Shropshire councillors.
The RAF had objected to the proposals, warning its helicopters flying in the area would make too much noise.
Image source, Westerleigh
The application had been recommended for approval by council officers and the National Association of Funeral Directors had also backed plans, saying there was a need for another crematorium in the area, with some families waiting up to six weeks for a funeral.
But members of the council’s Central Planning Committee refused the proposals by four votes to three, saying it was in the wrong location.
Warwickshire captain praises batting effort in drawpublished at 16:31 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire Sport
Warwickshire's batsmen have been praised by their captain for standing firm in their draw against Kent this week.
Jeetan Patel said: "You've got to learn how to draw games like that, you've got to learn to soak up the pressure."
Image source, Getty Images
After Kent scored 585-7 in their first innings, Warwickshire replied by batting for two days and ended on 574-7 declared, with openers Dominic Sibley and Will Rhodes scoring 244 and 109 respectively.
But Patel also complained the wicket wasn't much help for the bowlers and said "it just didn't offer much at all and the balls this year seem to be going soft very quickly".
In the papers: Town prepares for annual festivalpublished at 16:21 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
Cheshire Live - Crewe
The Crewe Chronicle's headlines today include:
Council chief executive has left rolepublished at 16:10 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
Local Democracy Reporting Service
George Makin
Sandwell Council's chief executive has confirmed he's left the post.
Jan Britton's statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service comes just a week after the authority said he'd taken "extended leave".
Image source, Sandwell Council
Image caption,
Jan Britton
The move follows a tough period for the council, including in 2018 children’s services being transferred to the care of a trust after Ofsted called provision inadequate.
In January, leader Steve Eling had his membership suspended by the Labour party, preventing him standing for re-election in May.
His replacement Steve Trow resigned within hours of the party taking all of the council’s 72 seats in the recent election.
The council hasn't said when there will be a permanent replacement for Mr Britton, but the deputy chief executive "will continue to take on responsibilities".
Music festival sells 45,000 ticketspublished at 15:57 British Summer Time 4 July 2019
About 45,000 tickets have been sold for the three-day Godiva Festival which starts on Friday.
It's the first time people have been charged for attending the music event in Coventry, with the city council saying the £2 fee is to cover administration costs and also "ensure a safe event and maintain the high quality expected".
Image source, Coventry City Council
Organisers say they're expecting about 120,000 people to visit over Friday, Saturday and Sunday, to see bands such as the Levellers, Feeder and Busted.