Summary

  • Updates from Monday 16 December to Sunday 22 December

  1. Bus firm criticised over Veganuary advert removalpublished at 15:29 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2019

    Bus firm Arriva says the vegan posters were removed as an "agreed procedure" was not adhered to.

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  2. Zoo pulls record 2m visitors a year after blazepublished at 11:22 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2019

    A number of animals died in the fire at Chester Zoo's Monsoon Forest, in December 2018.

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  3. Solihull Moors P-P Barrowpublished at 10:45 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2019

    Saturday's National League game between Solihull Moors and Barrow is postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.

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  4. 'I used a narwhal tusk on London Bridge killer'published at 08:47 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2019

    Darryn Frost reveals for the first time how he tackled Usman Khan, despite thinking he had a suicide vest.

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  5. Epic Indian Rickshaw Run reaches hair-raising endpublished at 01:02 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2019

    Sukhwinder Doal joined 90 volunteers from around the world to raise money for a children's hospital.

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  6. Street cat Maximus gets 'hundreds' of home offerspublished at 00:41 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2019

    An ailing stray picked up in Great Barr, Sandwell last month has defied expectations, say carers.

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  7. Gloucester thrash Worcester at Kingsholmpublished at 22:47 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    Gloucester run in five second-half tries to easily beat Worcester and claim their second bonus-point Premiership win of the season.

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  8. Card delivered to wrong address 5,200 miles awaypublished at 19:51 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    A Christmas greeting sent from south Wales to Warwickshire ends up in San Francisco.

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  9. Our live coverage across the weekpublished at 19:00 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    Andy Giddings
    BBC News

    We'll be back with the news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 on Monday.

  10. Hospice suffers break-in at third charity shoppublished at 18:51 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    The Severn Hospice has suffered a break-in at another of its charity shops - the third in the last fortnight.

    The burglars smashed their way in to the store on Market Square in Wellington last night, taking a small quantity of cash from the safe.

    Break inImage source, Severn Hospice

    It follows the raid on the charity's shop in Lawley on Monday and in Shifnal the Monday before that.

    Retail manager Ross Henderson said having to close the stores to fix the damage was "infuriating" and said they'd be taking steps to make their shops appear less inviting for burglars.

  11. Staff 'threatened with pieces of wood' in burglarypublished at 18:40 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    Vicky Norton
    BBC Radio Stoke

    Shop staff have been threatened by burglars with pieces of wood broken off tables in their own store.

    The Currys PC World storeImage source, Google

    Three men went into the Currys PC World branch at Festival Heights Retail Park, Stoke-on-Trent, yesterday afternoon, police said. , external

    After threatening the staff, the trio made off with Apple electronic products.

  12. Weather: A chilly night and a drier weekend forecastpublished at 18:30 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    Rebecca Wood
    BBC Midlands Today

    We're forecast a chilly night and there could be more rain tomorrow.

    Here's your forecast:

    Media caption,

    Weather forecast for the West Midlands

  13. Football club 'lost the lot' in burglarypublished at 18:23 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    Burglars have raided AFC Bridgnorth football club and taken cash, a lottery machine and a large amount of beer, wine and spirits.

    The club's chairman, Mark Weale, said they'd "lost the lot" and had to go out today to restock the bar for a 40th birthday party tonight - a cost he said they could "ill afford".

    Police car

    Mr Weale said: "We're an amateur football club who are run by volunteers, so we don't have substantial income over what we take over the bar."

    He said security cameras didn't show any vehicle, but the burglars must have had a vehicle to transport the drinks.

  14. Roman fort funding bid to revive flagging visitor numberspublished at 18:10 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    Money could be spent on a Roman ruin near Coventry, in an attempt to boost flagging visitor numbers.

    Lunt fort, at the village of Baginton was established around 60AD, during Queen Boudica's uprising and includes what could be the only remaining example of a Roman horse-training circle.

    But a report to Coventry City Council said visitor numbers last summer fell by nearly 2,000 to just 5,345 - and that included around 5,000 children on educational trips.

    Ruins from the airImage source, Google

    The report to the council’s scrutiny board this week said there was a plan to reconstruct the ramparts and entrance tower and the authority said it would investigate sources of funding.

    The chair of the committee, Councillor Richard Brown, said visitor numbers were "on a massive slide and we need to do something about it".

  15. More flood warnings as rain continues to fallpublished at 18:00 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    More flood warnings, external have been issued in Worcestershire, covering parts of the rivers Avon, Teme and Severn.

    There is another for the River Dene in Warwickshire.

    The Environment Agency said it expected levels to continue to rise and the rivers will probably reach their peak tomorrow.

    Flooded riversImage source, Environment Agency

    Flood alerts are in place for rivers across Shropshire, Herefordshire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire.

  16. Ice hockey: Broll will return sooner than expectedpublished at 17:58 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    BBC Sport

    Coventry Blaze will be without Canadian forward David Broll for this weekend's matches against Guildford Flames, but the injury to his foot isn't as bad as first feared.

    It was thought he'd broken a bone while blocking a shot against Manchester Storm, but instead it's heavy bruising and he's only likely to miss a couple of weeks.

    David BrollImage source, Scott Wiggins

    Telford Tigers are looking to strengthen position at the top of the National League table with wins over two rivals from last season - Hull Pirates and Sheffield Steeldogs.

    And at the half-way point of the season, head coach Tom Watkins said: "I can’t help but think these boys have overachieved even my own expectations, considering the number of injuries we have had over a six to eight-week period."

    Tigers celebrateImage source, Steve Brodie
  17. Paramedics call for sense ahead of 'Mad Friday'published at 17:51 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    Ambulance crews are expecting to deal with a lot of alcohol-related calls on the last Friday before Christmas.

    So called Mad Friday is one of the busiest NHS days of the year for alcohol related ilnesses and injuries.

    Last year it made £300,000 available for so-called drunk tanks where inebriated revellers can be checked and allowed to sleep it off.

    Ambulance

    Tony Sutton is on duty for West Midlands Ambulance Service tonight in Stoke-on-Trent and said: "What really gets me is I'm there with somebody. I'm babysitting a 19 to 25-year-old where potentially there's a poorly child out there in Stoke who needs me."

    The NHS pays for a five-bed "intoxication unit" in the city, for people to sleep off the effects of alcohol, if paramedics decide they are too drunk to safely go home by themselves.

  18. U-turn on street closure planspublished at 17:40 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    Developers have had a change of heart over plans to close off a Shrewsbury street.

    People living on Beacalls Lane complained when the RGB Group and Shropshire Council agreed it should close to allow an old school to be converted into flats.

    Beacalls LaneImage source, Google

    But, following talks, the local councillor, Alan Mosley said there had been an agreement to limit the width of the scaffolding and only use it for window-installation.

    There will still need to be some restrictions on traffic and some temporary closure, but Mr Mosley said he thought it was a "reasonable outcome with minimum possible disruption".

  19. Funerals held for London Bridge attack victimspublished at 17:39 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    Simultaneous services were held for Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones, who were stabbed last month.

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