Summary

  • Killer under surveillance led police to body

  • Vicar with hundreds of child abuse images jailed

  • Three deaths in string of crashes

  • Man will serve at least 17 years for Kidderminster murder

  • Churchill's partially smoked cigar goes for £4,800

  • Polling stations open until 22:00

  • Updates from Thursday 12 December

  1. House of Fraser evacuated after firepublished at 15:51 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    The House of Fraser store in Birmingham has been evacuated, after a fire started in an electricity box outside.

    Scene

    The store on Corporation Street has been "evacuated as a precaution", the fire service, which was called at about 15:05, said.

    Two fire engines were at the scene and a section of Cherry Street has been cordoned off.

  2. Serial rapist McCann given 33 life sentencespublished at 15:43 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Mr Justice Edis said he had no doubt McCann was "a threat to children" and "a paedophile".

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  3. New Crewe fixture would 'maintain integrity'published at 15:25 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Crewe boss David Artell says rescheduling their suspended game at Macclesfield would "preserve the integrity of the competition".

    Read More
  4. BBC experts answering your election questionspublished at 15:05 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    BBC correspondents

    The BBC is broadcasting all day from Crewe, a key marginal at Thursday's election.

    Here are some of experts - Reality Check's Chris Morris, political correspondent Chris Mason and home editor Mark Easton - beavering away on answering your questions.

    You can watch them at work right now on the BBC News Channel.

  5. 'Wolves fans arrested after homophobic abuse'published at 14:42 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Brighton say two Wolves supporters were "ejected from the Amex and subsequently arrested, for homophobic abuse" during yesterday's match.

    BrightonImage source, Getty Images

    The club added that on a day when they and the Premier League "celebrated equality and diversity, by supporting Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign", it was "with regret" that they reported the ejection and arrest of two away fans.

    Stewards moved in to remove them from the away section, after they were reported for homophobic abuse, and the pair were arrested by Sussex Police outside the stadium, Brighton said.

    Wolves said they could confirm there were two arrests for homophobic abuse and there "is no room in football or society for discrimination of any kind".

    They added "the club strongly condemns such behaviour" and the "club is now offering its support to Sussex Police in what is a criminal investigation".

  6. M5 shut northbound after caravan overturnspublished at 14:27 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    BBC News Travel

    Some bad news for drivers on the M5 northbound.

    All lanes are now shut J8 for the M50 link road to J7, external, for Worcester South, due to an overturned caravan.

    Highways England says traffic officers are on the scene.

  7. Austerity 'devastating' for young people with disabilitiespublished at 14:07 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    BBC Radio Stoke

    The effect of austerity cuts on young people with disabilities has been "absolutely devastating" according to a charity in Crewe.

    Ian Chalmers runs Hopes and Beams in the town, which helps young disabled people and the elderly.

    Therapist helping teenage girl with learning difficulties during child therapy. Top view hand detail of a therapist with patient. - stock photoImage source, Getty Images

    “I work with lots of families with special needs children and it affects the whole family," he said.

    "It pervades everything that they do is very stressful, they have to fight for every single thing for their child and often provision is just not given."

    “Whatever political party gets in power, there’s got to be systematic change as the only way for things to progress,” he said.

  8. East Cheshire backed Leave in EU referendumpublished at 13:47 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    One of the biggest issues at the polls is inevitably Brexit and it could be fertile ground for Leave supporting parties in Crewe.

    Crewe and Nantwich comes under Cheshire East Council, which counted the votes in the EU Referendum in 2016.

    In total, 113,163 voted to Leave while 107,962 backed Remain., external

    Cheshire East results

    But according to research by Dr Chris Hanretty, external at the University of East Anglia, Crewe and Nantwich even more forcefully backed Brexit in 2016.

    Although Cheshire East Council did not release results by constituency, Dr Hanratty estimated 60.3% of people in Crewe and Nantwich voted in favour of Leave, based on a research model of constituencies.

  9. Police officer denies Dalian Atkinson assaultpublished at 13:20 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Benjamin Monk and Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith face charges over the death of Dalian Atkinson.

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  10. The big issues for Crewe: Jobs, schools and transportpublished at 12:56 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Phil McCann
    Cheshire Political Reporter, BBC News

    There have been billions and billions of pounds of cuts over the last nine, nearly 10 years now.

    Councils have really born the brunt of it and that’s meant things like libraries closing and bus services being cut back.

    Here in Cheshire East there are far fewer buses in the evenings and on Sundays.

    Crewe bus station

    However Crewe is, economically, a successful place.

    There are lots of jobs that are available. More jobs are being created but often they are low paid and insecure, like zero-hour contracts. People are now working but are in in-work poverty.

    School funding is also a huge issue here that led to protests in Nantwich at the last election two years ago.

  11. McCafferty named Warwickshire chairmanpublished at 12:49 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Former Premiership Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty takes up the chairman role at Warwickshire County Cricket Club.

    Read More
  12. School shut due to noroviruspublished at 12:21 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    BBC Midlands Today

    A school in Coventry is closed today because of an outbreak of the winter vomiting bug norovirus.

    Finham Park schoolImage source, Google

    Finham Park has been deep cleaned over the weekend and parents have been asked to keep their children at home for at least 48 hours after they are free of symptoms.

  13. Two fans arrested for homophobic abusepublished at 11:57 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Brighton say two "visiting supporters" were arrested for homophobic abuse during Sunday's Premier League game against Wolves at Amex Stadium.

    Read More
  14. 'If HS2 doesn't come to Crewe, what then?'published at 11:51 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Rebecca Woods
    BBC News

    Ian Smyth, Mick Cartwright and Neil Jones

    Crewe and Nantwich is one of the UK's most marginal constituencies, with Labour taking the seat from the Conservatives in 2017 by just 48 votes.

    With days to go until another general election, what issues are firing up voters?

  15. 'Promising way too much'published at 11:25 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    With three days to go until polling day, around 20% of voters are yet to make up their minds on who to support.

    For Amelia, who is applying to university next year, Labour's promise to scrap tuition fees has caught her attention.

    However, she says she doesn't know if she can trust Jeremy Corbyn to deliver on all the promises he has made - a view echoed by a number of audience members.

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  16. 'Lack of support for' murdered children's motherpublished at 11:19 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    BBC Hereford and Worcester

    The mother of three children murdered in the 1970s says her grief has been made even worse by a lack of mental health support since their killer was released.

    Elsie Urry

    Elsie Urry's three young children were murdered by David McGreavy, at their Worcester home in 1973.

    He came out of prison six months ago and Mrs Urry told BBC Hereford & Worcester that the lack of victim support had left her feeling helpless.

    The Ministry of Justice said it was sorry about Mrs Urry's experience and would be getting in touch with her to see how it could help.

    It said if any support was requested, it would be more than happy to help facilitate that.

    Elsie Ralph and her three children Paul, Dawn and SamanthaImage source, Ralph family
    Quote Message

    I'm not coping very good really... I'm not sleeping properly... I can't keep burdening my family with my problems. It should be somebody what's more in the profession of that sort of thing. Nobody's come and helped. I'm worried about what I'm going through, so do they care what's going on? I don't think they do."

    Elsie Urry

  17. Undecided voters have their saypublished at 10:53 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    The BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme is coming live from Crewe this morning with a panel of undecided voters. They're putting forward their views and asking politicians questions on the big issues.

    You can watch live on the BBC News Channel and BBC2, and catch up later on the BBC iPlayer.

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  18. Undecided voter: 'I'm desperate for change'published at 10:53 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Rob, one of the undecided voters, wants someone to convince him that "real change" is possible.

    He thinks the worst aspects of American politics have made it into this election - "personal slandering" rather than policy.

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  19. Trust and economic credibilitypublished at 10:53 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

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    The BBC's Chris Mason, in the audience in Crewe, picks up on two key themes.

    On Labour and spending, it's worth saying that think tank the IFS has said both Labour and Conservative spending plans are "not credible".

    Here is a look more closely at Labour's economic plans as analysed by the BBC's own Faisal Islam.

    The BBC's Jon Pienaar, meanwhile, talks about the question of trust.

  20. 'I might just tick any box'published at 10:52 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2019

    Victoria Derbyshire

    With three days to go until polling day, around 20% of voters are yet to make up their minds on who to support.

    The BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme is in Crewe with an audience of undecided voters to find out what issues matter to them.

    Jamal, from London, runs a youth organisation, and says none of the parties have won his vote yet.

    "I might just tick any box and just walk out," he says.

    Crime is a big issue for him - but while he has heard politicians talking about policing he says he hasn't heard enough about prevention.

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    For Amelia, who is applying to university next year, Labour's promise to scrap tuition fees has caught her attention.

    However, she says she doesn't know if she can trust Jeremy Corbyn to deliver on all the promises he has made - a view echoed by a number of audience members.

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