Summary

  • Updates from Monday 6 January to Sunday 12 January

  1. Giles sees arguments for and against four-day test matchespublished at 15:29 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    BBC Sport

    Former Warwickshire spinner Ashley Giles has said reducing test matches to four days could take some of the excitement out of the game.

    England's recent win over South Africa came on the final day, but many test matches don't last the full five days and Giles, who is now England's director of cricket, said the suggestion would be considered by the ICC.

    Ashley GilesImage source, Getty Images

    The move is being put forward as a way of reducing players' workloads and Giles said: "It is our responsibility as the guardians of the game in this country to look at everything that can both take the game forward and also look after the workloads of our players."

  2. Temporary classroom noise 'like herd of elephants'published at 15:14 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    Noise caused by a temporary classroom at a school in Warwickshire sounds like "a herd of elephants", a nearby resident has told councillors.

    Warwickshire County Council's regulatory committee heard this week that the classroom at High Meadow Infant School, in Coleshill, had been installed on the playground without planning permission.

    High Meadow Infant SchoolImage source, Google

    Alison Doyle, who lives near the school, told the committee: "It is like a herd of elephants going up and down. You can hear chairs moving and there is extra noise from that area of the playground at drop-off and pick-up.”

    The council officer responsible for allowing it to be set up there and without planning permission has since apologised for the "unacceptable situation". Planning permission was eventually given in September, to set the classroom further away from surrounding homes, but no contractor was available to move it - so it will remain where it is for another four months.

    Councillors agreed to allow the classroom to stay where it is until the end of the Easter holidays, as long as it's repainted grey and something is done within two weeks to deaden the noise coming from the building.

  3. Mayor welcomes BT's decision to bring staff to citypublished at 14:59 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    The West Midlands Mayor has said BT's decision to move 4,000 staff to the centre of Birmingham "shows just how far our region has come in recent years".

    And Andy Street added: "The UK’s biggest companies now see a profitable future in the West Midlands."

    Andy StreetImage source, Getty Images

    BT is planning to transfer the staff to the Three Snowhill building and Mr Street said it would make the company one of the biggest employers in the city.

    He also pointed out: "This means Snowhill alone is now home to the likes of BT, HS2 Ltd, KPMG, Barclays, and law firm Gowling."

  4. More rain and showers in next 24 hourspublished at 14:39 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    BBC Weather

    There's going to be more rain to start tonight but it should clear from about midnight. Low: 6C/43F.

    Southam, WarwickshireImage source, Littleacorns

    Tomorrow's then set to start breezy and cloudy with some blustery showers through the day. High: 10C/50F.

    Get a latest forecast at any other time from the BBC Weather website.

  5. Lyra McKee awarded posthumous Master’s degreepublished at 14:15 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    Journalist Lyra McKee, who was fatally shot during rioting in Londonderry, has been posthumously awarded a Master of Arts degree in Online Journalism by Birmingham City University.

    The Belfast-born writer had studied for a distance learning Master’s degree at the university between 2012 and 2014 but her work in the field meant she was unable to formally graduate from the university.

    The award was collected by her sister Nichola Corner and brother-in-law John Corner during the university's first graduation ceremony of the year, at Birmingham's Symphony Hall on Tuesday.

    Lyra McKeeImage source, Getty Images

    Professor Paul Bradshaw, course leader for the MA Data Journalism and the MA Multiplatform and Mobile Journalism, said: “Lyra was a very special student, a very special writer, and an inspiration to many.

    "It was especially important to see her achievements during that time recognised by the university — and this award demonstrates that."

    Lyra's sister and brother-in-law collect the awardImage source, Birmingham City University
  6. Burst water main shuts roadpublished at 13:58 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    BBC News Travel

    A road's shut in Cradley Heath due to a burst water main.

    Burst mainImage source, South Staffordshire Water

    Sandwell Council says , externalit's happened on Forge Lane, near the railway station.

    South Staffordshire Water is working , externalto fix the repair, which it says may take several days.

    The firm adds customers should in the meantime have their water back.

  7. Cyclist dies more than two weeks after crashpublished at 13:54 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    Artur Strzavkowski was hit by a Nissan Qashqai inside a tunnel in Park Lane East.

    Read More
  8. Cricket team sign female overseas playerpublished at 13:51 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    BBC Radio Shropshire Sport

    A Shropshire League cricket side has signed a female player as their overseas professional for the new season.

    Australian Hayley Marshall will join Quatt from Wynyard cricket club in Hobart, in Tasmania.

    Hayley MarshallImage source, Hayley Marshall

    Hayley is a development officer for her Australian club side and will work with both the Quatt's men's and women's teams.

  9. 'Brazen' jewellers' daylight ram-raid filmedpublished at 13:46 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    CCTV and passers-by captured the moment five armed men raided a jewellers' shop in daylight.

    Read More
  10. Extra ambulances promised from closing hospital basepublished at 13:27 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    Money saved by closing an ambulance base in Solihull will be put towards extra paramedics and ambulances for the borough, the service's said.

    An ambulanceImage source, West Midlands Ambulance Service

    West Midlands Ambulance Service said, external the hub at the town's hospital hosts three ambulances but was often empty.

    However, it said of 32,522 cases it was called to in the area last year, the trio of vehicles attended fewer than 15% with the rest covered by staff from neighbouring areas.

    The ambulance trust's chief executive Anthony Marsh said: "This change simply ensures that an ambulance will arrive sooner.”

    The borough council said it would monitor the changes once they were made., external

  11. Why is my train often late?published at 13:11 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    If you've used a train at rush hour in recent months in the West Midlands and been jammed in without space to sit, been delayed or not even had a train turn up, you may have wondered "why can't they just put more trains on?"

    A West Midlands Trains serviceImage source, West Midlands Rail

    Well, the BBC's transport correspondent Tom Burridge's been analysing the challenges facing the people running our railways and has found it's not that easy.

    His focus on the area follows cases such as West Midlands Trains, which has seen months of delays, cancellations and strike action and which cut season ticket prices in response.

    You can read Tom's analysis, including how the government's rail review could have a major impact, here on the BBC website.

  12. BT reveals plans to move to city centre basepublished at 12:48 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    BT has revealed plans to move to a new Birmingham city centre base, with up to 4,000 employees working there.

    The transfer of staff to the 17-storey high Three Snowhill building, close to the railway station, will be completed by the end of the year.

    Three SnowhillImage source, Google

    The telecoms company says it's part of a five-year plan, which has seen it close contact centres and corporate offices elsewhere in the country.

  13. 'Wrong colour tarmac' means road resurfacing blockedpublished at 12:33 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    A property company has been told it can't resurface a private road, because it wanted to use the wrong colour of tarmac.

    Premier Estates Ltd said the road at Reynolds Wharf in Coalport needs replacing and wanted to use black tarmac, but Telford and Wrekin Council said it should use a buff colour, in keeping with other roads in the area.

    RoadImage source, Record Associates
    RoadImage source, LDRS

    Consultants Record Associates, who prepared the planning application, said black tarmac would be £30,000 cheaper and argued it couldn't be seen from any public roads.

    But in refusing planning permission, council officers said the road was in a "sensitive area" near the Coalport China Works museum and black tarmac would be out of character.

    They also said they didn't think a new road surface was needed and that it was in a "useable condition".

  14. Your photos: A cloudy daypublished at 12:13 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    BBC Weather Watchers

    It's a cloudy day again but we're still getting great views of the West Midlands from our local BBC Weather Watchers.

    These three are from users STFC Goose in Ryton, Shropshire, Rubytwoshoes in Malvern, Worcestershire and Di's Walk in Moseley, Birmingham:

    RytonImage source, STFC Goose
    MalvernImage source, Rubytwoshoes
    MoseleyImage source, Di's walk
  15. Tributes to cyclist who died three weeks after Tipton crashpublished at 11:57 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    A cyclist who died three weeks after a collision with a car was a "loving husband and father", his family's said.

    Artur StrzavkowskiImage source, West Midlands Police

    West Midlands Police said, external Artur Strzavkowski was involved in a crash with a car on Park Lane East, Tipton, on 18 December.

    He died in hospital on Sunday with his family adding he was "a wonderful friend who left us far too early".

    Officers added the driver of the car was helping them with their investigation.

  16. Ricketts wanted to give cup heroes another chancepublished at 11:43 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    BBC Radio Shropshire Sport

    Sam Ricketts said was disappointed with the performance of his team, after fielding most of the Shrewsbury Town players who earned a 1-1 draw with Bristol City at the weekend.

    They have a replay next week and he said: "We came off the back of Bristol City and I thought the players deserved the right to go again I asked them they were ready individually and everyone said 'yes'."

    Shrewsbury Town playersImage source, Getty Images

    Shrewsbury fell behind in the fourth minute and went on to lose 2-0 to Doncaster and Ricketts said it was the "first time in a long time that we haven't hit the standard".

  17. Father and son jailed over jewellery shop ram-raidpublished at 11:37 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    The pair were part of a gang which targeted a shop in daylight using machetes, axes and hammers.

    Read More
  18. Arrest made as police investigate series of sex assaultspublished at 11:22 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    Lee Thomas
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    An arrest has been made by police investigating several allegations of sexual assault in Stoke-on-Trent.

    Seaford StreetImage source, Google
    Image caption,

    Seaford Street

    Several people reported a man touching women inappropriately between September and October in the college areas of Shelton as well as Ashford Street and Seaford Street.

    Officers said a suspect had been arrested and released under investigation.

  19. Bears skipper Green suspended from bowlingpublished at 11:09 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2020

    Birmingham Bears captain Chris Green is suspended from bowling by Cricket Australia for having a suspect action.

    Read More