Summary

  • Updates from Monday 2 December to Sunday 8 December

  1. Man arrested on terrorism charges recalled to prisonpublished at 08:34 Greenwich Mean Time 2 December 2019

    A man arrested in Stoke-on-Trent on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts has been recalled to prison due to a suspected breach of his licence conditions, police said. , external

    Officers from the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit arrested the man after a search of his home address on Saturday and inquiries into the suspected offences are continuing.

    The force has said that there is no information to suggest that the arrested man was involved in the incident at London Bridge.

    There was no immediate risk to public safety, the force added.

  2. Saskia Jones: Tributes paid to 'one of a kind'published at 08:14 Greenwich Mean Time 2 December 2019

    Saskia Jones, stabbed to death in the terror attack at London Bridge, completed a Masters degree in criminology in 2018.

    Wanting to help the victims of crime she had recently applied to join the police.

    Saskia JonesImage source, Met Office

    Prof Loraine Gelsthorpe, director of the University of Cambridge's institute of criminology, said Ms Jones had a "determination to make an enduring and positive impact on society in everything she did".

    "Saskia's warm disposition and extraordinary intellectual creativity was combined with a strong belief that people who have committed criminal offences should have opportunities for rehabilitation," she added.

    Olivia Smith, a lecturer in criminology who marked Ms Jones' dissertation when she was at Anglia Ruskin University, described her as "one of a kind" who "would have been a force for good".

    "I'm so sorry that the world won't get to see what she could have achieved," she said.

    "Saskia's dissertation was so good that I cried with pride when I marked it."

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  3. Minute's silence to be heldpublished at 07:59 Greenwich Mean Time 2 December 2019

    A minute's silence will be held at 11:00 to remember Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt, said the University of Cambridge Gratuates Union.

    In a post on Facebook it said it is "deeply saddened" at the deaths of the "much admired members of our community."

    University of Cambridge Graduate Union postImage source, Facebook

    A vigil will also take place at 11:00 in Guildhall Yard in the City of London to pay tribute to those affected by the attack, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced.

  4. Signal fault at Birmingham New Streetpublished at 07:54 Greenwich Mean Time 2 December 2019

    BBC News Travel

    A fault with the signalling system , externalat Birmingham New Street is resulting in disruption to trains, the National Rail Enquiries website reports.

    Trains may be cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes or diverted between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International. Disruption is expected until 10:00.

    CrossCountry, London North Western, Virgin Trains and West Midlands Railway services are affected.

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  5. London Bridge: Tributes paid to victimspublished at 07:43 Greenwich Mean Time 2 December 2019

    Tributes have been paid to two friends stabbed to death in Friday's terror attack at London Bridge.

    Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, had been at a conference celebrating the five-year anniversary of the Learning Together prison programme when knifeman, 28-year-old Usman Khan, attacked them and three others.

    Saskia JonesImage source, Met Police

    "Saskia was a funny, kind, positive influence at the centre of many people's lives," the family of Stratford-upon-Avon's Ms Jones said in a statement.

    "She had a wonderful sense of mischievous fun and was generous to the point of always wanting to see the best in all people," they added.

    "Saskia had a great passion for providing invaluable support to victims of criminal injustice, which led her to the point of recently applying for the police graduate recruitment programme, wishing to specialise in victim support."

  6. London Bridge: Why was the attacker out of prison?published at 07:32 Greenwich Mean Time 2 December 2019

    Dominic Casciani
    Home Affairs Correspondent

    London Bridge attacker Usman Khan came to the attention of counter-terrorism investigators because he was involved in a highly active cell around Stoke-on-Trent, part of a wider network of radicals then headed by the preacher Anjem Choudary.

    Usman KhanImage source, West Midlands Police

    MI5 and the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit had intelligence that a group of nine men from London, Cardiff and Stoke, including Khan, wanted to bomb the London Stock Exchange. The plot was supremely incompetent and amateur.

    Khan also wanted to set up a terrorism training "madrassah", or school, in Kashmir to train a new generation of British militants to either fight out there or bring their skills home.

    Khan and the others were convicted and jailed in 2012- and the ultimate dilemma for the authorities was whether the men were simply fantasists who, hopefully, would grow up.

    You can read more on this story here.

  7. London Bridge: Vigil to be held for attack victimspublished at 07:21 Greenwich Mean Time 2 December 2019

    The Mayor of London is among those expected to attend a vigil for the victims of the London Bridge attack in the capital later.

    Saskia Jones and Jack MerrittImage source, Met Police

    Saskia Jones, 23, from Stratford-upon-Avon and 25-year-old Jack Merritt will be honoured in a remembrance service at Guildhall Yard.

    A book of condolences will be opened at Guildhall Art Gallery and members of the public will be invited to lay flowers outside nearby Mansion House.

    The service will take place at 11:00, less than a mile from Fishmongers' Hall, where convicted terrorist Usman Khan, 28, launched his attack on Friday.

  8. Video: Your 50-second weather forecastpublished at 07:11 Greenwich Mean Time 2 December 2019

    Rich Davis
    BBC Weather presenter

    After a cold start it will be a dry and bright day with highs of 7C (45F).

    Media caption,

    Latest weather for the West Midlands

  9. Live updates for the West Midlandspublished at 07:00 Greenwich Mean Time 2 December 2019

    Vanessa Pearce
    BBC News

    Welcome to our live service for Monday.

    We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather for the West Midlands.

    We love to hear from you so share your news, thoughts and photos of the area with us via email, Twitter, external and Facebook., external