Hereford Times

Today's headlines from the Hereford Times include:

• December A&E waits at Hereford hospital worst for five years, external
• School is judged ‘inadequate’, external
• Driver cut free from car after crashing into telegraph pole, external

A fourth arrest's been made by police investigating a stabbing in which a teenager was killed and another critically injured.

Nasir Patrice died at the scene of the attack on Tachbrook Road in Leamington Spa on Wednesday morning.

Three people have been arrested on suspicion of his murder, including the 18-year-old man who was injured.

This evening, Warwickshire Police said, external an 18-year-old man from Birmingham was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and is still in custody.

Vicky Norton
BBC Radio Stoke

A woman's died a day after she was hit by a lorry.

Image source, Google

The 37-year-old, from Sandbach, was struck by the vehicle on Tuesday on the Haslington Bypass near Crewe Green roundabout, Crewe, Cheshire Police said.

She suffered serious injuries and died on Wednesday at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.

BBC Radio Shropshire Sport

A new baseball club in Telford will hold its first training session on Sunday and plans to play its first games in April.

Last night Telford Baseball Club was accepted to play in the West Midlands Baseball League and chairman Tom Rochester said it had a lot of interest from potential players.

He said he got into the sport six years ago and decided it was time the town had a team of its own.

Eight people have been arrested after raids targeting county lines drug supplies in Coventry., external

About two kilograms of cannabis and suspected crack cocaine was seized from one property in Broad Street.

Cash and mobile phones were also seized, and will be analysed, police said.

All eight were arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs with intent to supply and remain in police custody, said West Midlands Police.

BBC Shropshire

A shopping centre bought by Shropshire Council could be turned into homes.

Image source, Google

The local authority's said when it bought the Riverside Centre, along with the Darwin and Pride Hill centres, in 2018 for £51m, it didn't see it having a retail future.

Last year, council's leader Peter Nutting said he expected demolition work to start later this year.

Shropshire Council revealed the ideas at a committee this week and also said all three saw a drop in visitor numbers in December.

Leamington Observer

A few of the stories on the Leamington Observer website today:

• Tachbrook Road remains ‘very much a crime scene’ say police, external
• Charity champion honoured for tireless collecting efforts, external
• Puppy buyers falling victim to 'dogfishing' scam, external

BBC Weather

It will be a cold night with clear periods and lows of -1C (30F).

A mostly dry and fine day can be expected tomorrow with lengthy periods of sunshine.

Image source, BBC Weather Watchers/Steve Blackman

You can find a detailed weather forecast for your area on the BBC Weather site.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Diesel has been spilled into a waterway in Cheshire.

The Environment Agency says, external it was tipped off by the public about the spillage into Gresty Brook, Crewe.

It now has officers on site checking what impact it's having on local wildlife and plants.

Shrewsbury Town sign Blackburn Rovers defender Sam Hart on loan until the end of the season.

Farirai Shereni forced a woman towards an underpass in Birmingham city centre where he raped her.

Shropshire Star

A few of the headlines from the Shropshire Star today:

• Church rejects churchyard burial request by daughter, external
• Health advice 'too little, too late' factory fire meeting told, external
• Fresh appeal for concerned families to contact inquiry into Shropshire maternity care, external

A man who forced a woman into a city centre underpass before raping her in a violent attack has been jailed.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Farirai Shereni attacked the woman as she made her way to work at about 04:30 on 6 November last year police said.

After escaping him, she was able to provide officers with a description and he was quickly picked up in nearby Bull Street.

Part of the attack was picked up on CCTV and shown to the trial jury which found him guilty of two counts of rape and one of assault by penetration.

At Birmingham Crown Court earlier the 26-year-old of no fixed address was sentenced to 13 year in prison with an extended licence of five years.

Sean Coughlan
BBC News, education correspondent

The sharp increase in university students in the UK getting top degree grades seems to have stalled, according to annual official figures.

It follows warnings from ministers of the need to prevent "grade inflation" devaluing degrees.

Staffordshire University was among the institutions to be highlighted last year after the number of students awarded first-class degrees rose from 14% in 2010-11 to 34% in 2017-18.

Image source, Getty Images

The latest figures show 28% of students across the country were awarded first class degrees in 2018-19 - the same as the year before.

England's higher education watchdog, the Office for Students, had attacked "unexplained" increases in top grades.

A decision on whether the HS2 high-speed rail link will go ahead will be made "very soon", said the Transport Secretary today.

On a visit to Birmingham, Grant Schapps confirmed he had received the Oakervee government-commissioned review looking into the costs and benefits of the project.

It was prompted after it was revealed it was billions of pounds over budget and up to five years behind schedule. However, the review itself has come under fire from HS2 opponents.

Mr Schapps was visiting the region to launch a new £22m traffic control centre, partly funded by the government, designed to coordinate between different authorities when there's a lot of congestion.

He also said that rail operator West Midlands Trains were under the microscope, the reliability of the network has recently been described as "woeful".

Blackpool sign Wolves midfielder Connor Ronan on loan until the end of the season.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Dare

An investigation has been launched by Birmingham City Council into why the relocation of a National Express bus depot is costing £13.5m more than originally thought.

Image source, Google

Earlier this year, it was revealed that relocating the depot in time for the Commonwealth Games would cost the council £15.5m, when previous estimates had placed the cost at £2m.

The report detailing the increased cost was presented as a report to the interim chief executive of the council on New Year’s Eve, leading to accusations that the council was trying to "bury" the bad news.

Councillor Lisa Trickett, who sits on the council’s Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee, said that she was "deeply concerned" about the process that led to the extra funds being signed off.

England prepare to host the inaugural Netball Nations Cup - their first matches on home soil since the 2019 Netball World Cup in Liverpool.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

Headlines on the Stoke-on-Trent Live website today include:

• Hospital computer hacker sacked after being found with heart test images and staff documents, external
• Police launched murder investigation after nurses found woman dead in lounge, external
• Mum's fury after daughter still on NHS waiting list 37-months after being referred for braces, external

BBC Shropshire

One of the key bridges over the River Severn in Shrewsbury is crumbling and needs major repairs, Shropshire Council says.

The local authority says parts of the Grade II listed Welsh Bridge are loose, cracked and severely weathered.

Emergency repairs were carried out last month on the 18th Century structure to make one section safe and remove plants.

However, repairs are likely to be "very costly and disruptive to road users", Shropshire Council says and that it will have to draw up a "comprehensive" repair scheme.