Midlands Live: Breaking news and local stories

Summary

Live updates from Monday 7 October to Sunday 13 October

Live Reporting

Walsall boss nominated for manager of the monthpublished at 13:10 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
BBC WM Sport
Walsall manager Darrell Clarke has been nominated for the September manager of the month award.
The Saddlers won three and drew one of their five league matches.
Defender James Clarke is on the shortlist for Player of the Month.
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Vote due on flyover removalpublished at 12:52 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Proposals to tear down the Perry Barr flyover are set to go before Birmingham City Council's cabinet next week.
The authority has received more than 15,000 objections.
Image source, Google
Under plans for a £27.1m scheme, the A34 flyover would be demolished and a new multi-lane junction created.
Eleven petitions opposing the move, totaling 15,273 signatures, have been handed to the council, saying the loss of the flyover would lead to increased traffic in the area, damage to air quality and an increase in carbon emissions.
The council says the flyover's removal is green.
Quote Message
We’ve considered a range of other proposals but, in order to keep people moving efficiently through Perry Barr, in particular on public transport and having that cycling offer that we will have, we will not be able to [introduce] all these real alternatives for sustainable forms of transport through the north of the city without removing this flyover."
Councillor Waseem Zaffar, Birmingham City Council
Teenager arrested after boy stabbedpublished at 12:31 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
A 17-year-old has been arrested over a boy's stabbing near Sandwell College on Monday.
The 16-year-old was attacked on West Bromwich Ringway at about 15:35, police said.
He is believed to have suffered a cut to his arm, but the injury is not life-threatening or life-changing, says West Midlands Police.
Officers are asking for anyone with information to come forward.
Fire services to discuss formal alliancepublished at 12:09 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Shropshire's fire service will discuss proposals to enter a formal alliance with its neighbour in Herefordshire and Worcestershire in a meeting tomorrow.
They've been working in a loose partnership for the past year and the recommendation going before members of the county's fire authority is that they go one step further.
The agreement would commit the two fire services to "wherever possible" implementing "a common approach to the selection and procurement of equipment, operational policies and procedures and the provision of support services”.
The Hereford and Worcester fire authority is due to meet to discuss the proposals six days later.
Hundreds oppose McDonald's planpublished at 11:47 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Plans for a McDonald's in Worcester have been opposed by almost 400 people.
The proposal for a third McDonald's in the city is for the site of the former Harvester on Droitwich road, but objectors say it is too close to a primary school.
Image source, Getty Images
They have raised concerns about litter, anti-social behaviour and traffic.
Worcester City Council’s planning committee is due to meet on 21 November to make a decision.
Arrests made after migrant's body discoveredpublished at 11:26 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
The body of an Iranian woman who fell from an inflatable boat was recovered off the Dutch coast.
Read More
In the papers: Millionaire saves Darwin's former homepublished at 11:20 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
Shropshire Star
From the Shropshire Star today:
- Millionaire saves Darwin's Shrewsbury childhood home, external
- Loose dog bites three children in playground, external
- Shropshire Council put ‘on notice’ over climate change, external
Man seriously injured in stabbingpublished at 11:04 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
A man has suffered serious injuries in a stabbing in Coventry.
The 33-year-old was taken to hospital after the incident on Tile Hill Lane just before 22:30 on Monday night, police said.
Police are calling for any witnesses to come forward.
£23m college hub gets go-aheadpublished at 10:50 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Kerry Ashdown
Plans for a £23m college development in Stafford town centre have taken another step forward after the borough council gave plans the thumbs up.
Image source, Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group
Planning permission has been granted for the three storey building at the Earl Street campus of the Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group.
Earlier this year the college was granted consent to demolish old teaching blocks and a sports hall on the Earl Street and Broad Street corner of the campus to make way for the new development.
The 7,500 sq foot skills and innovation hub is set to feature state of the art skills, construction, engineering and motor vehicle facilities.
Jess Phillips re-selected after 'trigger' votepublished at 10:32 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
Jess Phillips has been re-selected to be Labour's candidate for the Birmingham seat of Yardley at the next election.
The local party decided to "trigger" a contest rather than automatically select the sitting MP.
Ms Phillips tweeted her thanks to those who had supported her.
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Crewe's Artell and Lowery nominated for awardspublished at 10:16 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
BBC Radio Stoke Sport
Crewe Alexandra manager David Artell and midfielder Tommy Lowery are both up for League Two awards for their performances in September.
Artell led his side to three wins and a draw in five matches, and is praised for an attacking style of play that brought 11 goals and saw the club rise to second in the table.
Image source, Getty Images
Artell is shortlisted alongside Darrell Clarke of Walsall, Mark Cooper of Forest Green Rovers and the Cheltenham manager Michael Duff.
Tommy Lowery is described by the judges as a "midfield lynchpin" who has scored three goals in five games.
Force failing to record nearly one in 10 reported crimespublished at 10:00 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
West Mercia Police has been criticised for failing to record more than 8,900 of the crimes reported to it each year.
That figure amounts to just under 10% of the crimes reported to the force going unrecorded, a study by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services says.
The force was also found to be failing to record more than 4,200 reports of violent crime.
Inspectors have told West Mercia to immediately improve how it records violent crimes, particularly harassment, stalking, domestic abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour and modern slavery.
The force says it accepts that it still has more work to do and recognises it doesn’t always make the correct crime-recording decisions.
In the papers: Blow dealt to Armistice Day paradepublished at 09:36 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
Coventry Live
Some of the Coventry Live headlines today include:
- Devastating blow dealt to Bedworth Armistice Day parade, external
- Robber targeted McDonald's, bookies and hotel all in space of 12 hours, external
- Popular Fargo Village cafe announces shock closure, external
'Honesty boxes' to replace tickets for Solihull Moors gamepublished at 09:18 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
BBC Sport
Fans will be asked to "pay what you like" to see National League club Solihull Moors' home game against Sutton United later.
Image source, Google
The Moors are replacing ticket prices with "honesty boxes" for the fixture, allowing fans free entry or to pay "whatever they think is a fair price".
Buckets will be situated around the ground for donations, instead of payment being taken at the turnstiles.
All proceeds will go "to the community side of the club", the Moors said., external
Opheem awarded Michelin Starpublished at 08:52 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
Indian restaurant Opheem has been given a Michelin Star.
It becomes the fifth restaurant in Birmingham to achieve the honour.
Chef director Aktar Islam thanked his team and customers for their support.
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In the papers: Paedophile rapist jailed for 25 yearspublished at 08:37 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
Birmingham Live
Some of the Birmingham Live headlines today include:
- Serial paedophile rapist jailed for 25 years, external
- Aktar Islam's Opheem wins a Michelin star, external
- Desperate £50,000 appeal to save Acocks Green school pool, external
Staffless library opening hours consideredpublished at 08:14 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Libraries could open for longer without staff having to be present, under plans being considered by Cheshire East Council.
Image source, Google
Customers could be let into the buildings at 07:30 until 20:00 by using their library cards, with CCTV being used for security checksm the council said.
The idea is included in a survey about the local authority's library service which is running on its website until 8 November., external
Government to be asked to keep health services in Telfordpublished at 07:57 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
Telford MP Lucy Allen is meeting with Health Secretary Matt Hancock later to ask the government to keep services in the town.
Telford's Princess Royal hospital is set to lose its acute A&E department with provision moving to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, 16 miles away, instead.
Image source, PA Media
The A&E department at the Princess Royal will become an "urgent care model" instead.
Plans were approved in January before being reviewed by the government at the request of Telford's council.
In the papers: Threat to block access in travellers site rowpublished at 07:44 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
Express and Star
Some of the headlines in the Express and Star website include:
- Trading estate boss in threat to block access amid travellers site row, external
- Fears for wildlife at ‘polluted Smethwick park pond’, external
- Banned motorist leaves trail of destruction in frantic escape bid, external
Midlands Metro tram's running to Digbeth?published at 07:36 British Summer Time 8 October 2019
Talks to further extend the Midland Metro towards Digbeth in Birmingham are taking place later.
Image source, West Midlands Combined Authority
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said he will be meeting the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, to discuss a potential line to the area.
Funding has already been secured for an extension to Brierley Hill in the Black Country while trams will be able to travel to Wolverhampton train station and Birmingham's Centenary Square later this year.