Stoke-on-Trent Live

A few of the stories making the headlines on Stoke-on-Trent Live today:

• Grief-stricken family demand answers over sudden death of mum, external
• Couple chased by council bailiffs for fuel spill bill despite proving car was on drive at the time, external
• Convicted robber will spend longer behind bars after trying to stop witness giving evidence, external

Police are still appealing for help in tracing a second man over Fidel Glasgow's death in Coventry.

Allen Cook
BBC News

An inquest into the deaths of four children who lost their lives in a fire has been put back more than two months into the new year., external

Image source, Police handout

Riley Holt, eight, Keegan Unitt, six, Tilly Rose Unitt, four, and Olly Unitt, three, died in a blaze at their family home in Stafford on 5 February.

Staffordshire Police said the inquest, due to be held on 19 December, was now scheduled for 20 February.

The cause of the fire's still not been confirmed and the force said it would give an update on the investigation in the new year.

Officers arrested a 24-year-old woman and 28-year-old man on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence and they have been released under investigation.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl Jackson

Plans for a £125m development including homes, shops, bars and offices in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter have been given the go-ahead.

Image source, Glenn Howells Architects

Birmingham City Council’s planning committee approved the proposal to transform a four-acre site at Northwood Street into what will become known as St Paul’s Quarter.

The scheme includes 305 apartments, more than half of which will be one-bedroom, and 98,000 sq ft of commercial space.

The development will open up an area which had previously been closed off to the public while two Grade II listed buildings will be restored and two further unlisted properties will be kept.

It is estimated St Paul’s Quarter will also create more than 500 jobs ranging from construction to retail posts.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the stabbing of Fidel Glasgow outside a Coventry nightclub.

Image source, West Midlands Police

The 21-year-old was wounded at the rear of Club M on Croft Road, Coventry, on 1 September 2018.

A 26-year-old man was arrested after handing himself into a police station on Thursday.

West Midlands Police said it continued to appeal for help to identify another man.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Ten other men arrested in connection with the stabbing have all been released on police bail while the investigation continues, said West Midlands Police.

Firefighters from across the region have joined colleagues in South Yorkshire to help evacuate people from their homes after severe flooding.

Five severe warnings - meaning a danger to life - are in place along the River Don in Doncaster with some residents being told to leave their homes.

Image source, Reuters

Dozens of people slept on chairs and benches after being left stranded in a shopping centre in Sheffield overnight.

The South Yorkshire Fire Service thanked colleagues from the West Midlands for helping to rescue more than 100 people.

Firefighters from Shrewsbury have also been deployed to help with the efforts.

Shropshire Star

The headlines from the Shropshire Star this morning:

• Flood warnings in place in Shropshire as county set for respite from rain, external
• Oswestry man jailed after kicking and stamping on woman - fracturing her face, external
• Hollywood star Hugh Jackman sends his support to Shropshire college, external

Welsh Water says the overnight damage, which caused five schools to close, has been fixed.

A man who was arrested with a fully loaded gun in his backpack on his way to work has been jailed for five years.

Image source, National Crime Agency

Construction worker Richard Hamper from Tile Hill in Coventry was stopped after buying the blank-firing gun online, which he later converted to be a live gun, the National Crime Agency said.

A search of his home revealed a further three air weapons, ammunition and cannabis, it added.

The 32-year-old admitted possession of a firearm and drugs at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday.

Jack Dowling
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

After months of closure and £154,000 of repairs, a fly-over's set to reopen this evening.

Image source, Google

Stoke-on-Trent City Council closed the A53 Festival Park crossing in Etruria in July, external after a faulty joint was found.

Since then, the entire structure's been examined by experts and repairs and maintenance carried out.

The council says a second bridge joint will be installed today and the road lines painted before it should open to traffic this evening.

A man with a machete was detained by members of the public during an attempted robbery in a Smethwick shop on Thursday.

The offender and another man sustained hand injuries during the incident at the store on Cape Hill at about 16:30, police said.

They were both taken to hospital for treatment.

A 20-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of robbery.

Coventry Live

These are some of the Coventry Live headlines this morning:

• Tributes paid to popular former chairman of Coventry Deaf Club, external
• Restoration of historic Charterhouse begins, external
• Calls for a green retrofit of Coventry City Centre to banish concrete jungle, external

BBC Sport

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill's expected to take charge of Stoke City in their game tomorrow at Barnsley.

Image source, Reuters

The Irish FA gave the Championship strugglers permission yesterday to approach O'Neil and talks are understood to have progressed well.

The game with Barnsley is a crucial one for bottom side Stoke as their hosts are a point and a place above them in the table.

It's believed O'Neill will then return to Northern Ireland to take charge of his country's final two Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Netherlands and Germany on 16 and 19 November before moving to Stoke on a full-time basis.

There's a high risk of flooding in parts of Warwickshire and south Cheshire today after the heavy rain in the past day.

Flood warnings are in place for the River Weaver near Nantwich , externaland the River Dene at Walton, external, near Stratford-upon-Avon.

In both cases, the waterways are expected to stay high through the day with a risk of flooding to the surrounding areas.

Police are reassuring people that a Wolves fan was not stabbed during their Europa League game at Molineux last night.

West Midlands Police responded to rumours that started on social media during the match against Slovan Bratislava.

Chief Constable Dave Thompson said the away supporters were very good natured.

BBC News Travel

Flooding caused by heavy rain on Thursday is still affecting roads around the region.

• Flooding under the bridge has closed the A4123 New Birmingham Road in Tipton between Tipton Road and Birmingham Road.
• The A531 Swan Bank road in Bowsey Wood Staffordshire is closed from Bowsey Wood Road to Newcastle Road.

• The B4368 is closed in Diddlebury, Shropshire, between Mill Lane and Corfton Bache.

• Green Lane in Oddingley Worcestershire is closed from Hulls Lane to Plough Lane.
• This is the scene on Maw Lane, Maw Green in Cheshire which is closed between Maw Green and Haslington.

Image source, Mike Jennings

• Gresty Lane is closed in Shavington, Crewe from Gresty Green Road to Rope Lane.
• New Street is closed in Upton-upon-Severn in Worcestershire between Old Street and Upper Hook Road
• Orchard Green in Wellington, Herefordshire, is affected between the A49 Marden turn off and Walkers Green.
• Watery Lane in Lower Bullingham, Herefordshire is closed in both directions between Lower Bullingham Lane and B4399

Stourbridge boss Ian Long bids to maintain his side's proud FA Cup record after reaching the first round proper for a sixth time in 10 years.

Addyson Weyman, 11, suffers seizures almost daily which can leave her temporarily blind and deaf.

An investigation is continuing after a man died following a crash involving a bus and a van in Sandwell on Thursday.

The 36-year-old driver of the van was seriously injured and died at the scene, police said.

The crash happened just after 17:00 outside the Cock Inn, Dudley Road.

A number of people on the bus were treated for minor injuries.

A burst water main which left about 5,000 customers across Hereford experiencing problems with supplies, has been fixed.

Five schools were forced to close after damage to a pipe on Hoarwithy Road caused localised flooding.

Welsh Water apologised for the disruption and said the supply had now been fixed.

It said customers may experience discoloured water for a time.