Summary

  • Live updates from Monday 29 July to Sunday 4 August

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

  1. Harry Potter book bought in library sale sold for £28,500published at 12:32 British Summer Time 31 July 2019
    Breaking

    A first edition Harry Potter book which was bought for just £1 has been sold for £28,500 at auction.

    The 1997 edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone belonged to a Staffordshire family who picked it up at a sale of Staffordshire Library stock 20 years ago.

    Harry Potter bookImage source, Hansons Auctioneers

    It was sold by Hansons Auctioneers in a book sale at Wolseley Bridge and coincidentally today is the birthday of both JK Rowling and Harry Potter himself.

  2. 999 call after getting off at 'wrong station'published at 12:26 British Summer Time 31 July 2019

    People have reacted angrily on social media after Warwickshire Police revealed someone had dialled 999 to ask for advice after getting off at the wrong railway station and asking for a lift home.

    The force's operations and control centre said the caller was "advised to ring for a taxi".

    Some people suggested the caller should have been fined or charged with wasting police time.

    Another police officer said he had been asked for a "lift up the road" while responding to a crash.

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  3. Man in hospital after suspected knife attackpublished at 12:16 British Summer Time 31 July 2019

    A man is being treated in hospital after a suspected knife attack in Stoke-on-Trent yesterday.

    Staffordshire Police said he was found seriously injured at the junction of Longport Road and Station Street at around 15:55 and was taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital.

    Staffordshire Police carImage source, Staffordshire Police

    His injuries aren't thought to be life-threatening, the force said.

  4. Silver Spitfire in world record bidpublished at 12:03 British Summer Time 31 July 2019

    BBC Midlands Today

    A Spitfire built in Birmingham that supported the D-Day landings is in the final stages of preparation to make a record-attempting flight around the world.

    Silver Spitfire

    Specialist engineers have spent two years restoring the Silver Spitfire that was originally built in Castle Bromwich in 1943.

    Two British pilots will fly the single-engine aircraft for 27,000 miles and to 30 countries to mark the centenary of the RAF.

  5. Dean signs new Birmingham contractpublished at 11:46 British Summer Time 31 July 2019

    Birmingham City captain Harlee Dean signs a new four-year contract with the Championship club.

    Read More
  6. Man in hospital after house firepublished at 11:38 British Summer Time 31 July 2019

    A man has been taken to hospital after a house fire in Shifnal overnight.

    Firefighters say they were called to deal with a fire in the roof of a property on Stone Drive at 00:56 which spread to a neighbouring house.

    Fire Engine

    It took four fire crews one and a half hours to put the fire out and the man is being treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

  7. N'Diaye still has future at Stoke City says Jonespublished at 11:28 British Summer Time 31 July 2019

    BBC Radio Stoke Sport

    The Senegalese midfielder Badou N'Diaye still has a future at Stoke City, the manager, Nathan Jones, has said.

    He spent last season on loan at Galatasaray, but Jones said: "He is a Stoke City player unless someone comes in and meets the valuation of Stoke on Badou."

    Badou N'DiayeImage source, Getty Images

    N'Diaye helped his country to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations and Jones added: "He has ambitions to play at the very top level, so do we."

  8. Masked men pin elderly man to floor in 'terrifying' raidpublished at 11:05 British Summer Time 31 July 2019

    Police are investigating a "terrifying" burglary in which three masked men forced their way into the home of a 78-year-old man in Stafford.

    They broke into the house on New Street at 11:45 on Sunday 28 July and one pinned him to the ground while the others searched his home, taking a bank card, bus pass and mobile phone.

    Man's injuriesImage source, Staffordshire Police

    Staffordshire police said the man suffered bruising to his arms, hands and ribs and was taken to hospital.

  9. Heavy rain floods Congleton village shoppublished at 10:55 British Summer Time 31 July 2019

    A village farm shop in Congleton, Cheshire, is forced to closed due to flooding.

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  10. Lorry diesel spill shuts M6 lanespublished at 10:54 British Summer Time 31 July 2019

    BBC News Travel

    Lanes are closed on the M6 southbound at J8 due to a large diesel spill from a lorry.

    Highways England says fire crews are dealing with it.

    Diesel spillImage source, Highways England
  11. Railway station expansion plans unveiledpublished at 10:45 British Summer Time 31 July 2019

    Proposals to expand Birmingham's University station would enable it to accommodate 7.2m passengers.

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  12. Contest to find best apps to help education boostpublished at 10:44 British Summer Time 31 July 2019

    The Department for Education is to launch a competition to find the best apps to help disadvantaged families to boost their children's education.

    Woman using phone - generic imageImage source, Getty Images

    It is part of a push to encourage poorer families to work with their children to develop their language and literacy skills at home.

    Under the scheme, families in 12 pilot areas will get free access to a choice of two of the best apps focused on early language, literacy and communication.

    The aim is to help parents think about how to use children's screen time constructively and find learning activities for them before they start reception.

    The areas that will benefit from the scheme from next year are Stoke-on-Trent, Sandwell and Leicester in the Midlands and Middlesbrough, Oldham and Halton in the North.

  13. Car blocks doors to fire station for 'wedding emergency'published at 10:30 British Summer Time 31 July 2019

    A car owner who blocked the doors to a fire station has told astonished firefighters it was for a "wedding emergency".

    West Midlands Fire Service said the vehicle was also parked in front of an emergency response vehicle and it's passed the matter on to the police.

    Car in front of fire stationImage source, West Midlands Fire Service

    The fire service later tweeted: "We've heard some interesting excuses for blocking our emergency vehicles, but this is a new one."

  14. Can I plant trees anywhere and which type is best?published at 10:21 British Summer Time 31 July 2019

    Here are some of the things our readers wanted to know about tree planting.

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  15. Flooding expected after heavy rainpublished at 10:02 British Summer Time 31 July 2019

    A flood warning is now in place for the River Cole at Coleshill, after the Environment Agency decided to upgrade its flood alert.

    It said there was a chance properties could flood because "river levels have risen at the Swans Barn river gauge as a result of persistent heavy rainfall".

    Elsewhere in Warwickshire, the heavy rain has made driving difficult as you can see from this photo taken in Kenilworth this morning.

    KenilworthImage source, Fraser

    And this photo below was taken by a BBC Weather Watcher near Leek in Staffordshire.

    The Environment Agency is warning that river levels are continuing to rise, but flooding is hard to predict "given the unpredictable nature of thunderstorms".

    Leek bridgeImage source, Videoman
  16. Rain continues to cause rail disruptionpublished at 09:49 British Summer Time 31 July 2019

    Some trains from the West Midlands to Manchester are still being delayed or cancelled this morning, after flooding on the line last night.

    National Rail said a section at Kidsgrove was still badly affected this morning and the disruption is expected to continue until at least 11:30.

    Flooded lineImage source, National Rail

    Passengers travelling on the line between Shrewsbury and Manchester are being advised to check before travelling., external

    Flooding on the A500 at Tunstall Island has now been cleared, Highways England says, but be careful if you're driving in the area.

  17. Man held over septic tank remains releasedpublished at 09:43 British Summer Time 31 July 2019

    Police say the deceased was "likely to be" Brenda Venables who went missing in 1982.

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