Around the web: Court told of 'Mamba Olympics' at prisonpublished at 08:57 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2020
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Summary
Updates from Monday 20 January to Sunday 26 January
Around the web: Court told of 'Mamba Olympics' at prisonpublished at 08:57 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2020
Bridge strike delaying rail servicespublished at 08:46 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2020
BBC News TravelA vehicle has hit a railway bridge between Coventry and Birmingham International stations, delaying services.
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End of twitter post'Police incident' closes stretch of A38 in Staffordshirepublished at 08:30 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2020
BBC News TravelThe A38 Lichfield Road remains closed in both directions in Burton-upon-Trent.
The closure is affecting a stretch between the Stretton turn-off and the A5121 Branston Interchange.
Congestion is back to the Littleover turn-off after a "police incident".
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End of twitter postCar parking charges introducedpublished at 08:11 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2020
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl JacksonCar parking charges are set to be introduced at Victoria Common in the Northfield area of Birmingham.
Image source, GoogleThe proposed fees for the dozens of spaces located off Church Road, will be 50p for the first hour, £2.20 for two to four hours and £3.30 for longer than four hours.
If approved by Birmingham City Council later this week, the scheme would also include a £70,000 makeover for the area.
Bollards would be installed along the short access leading from Church Road to the car park.
Football: Stoke stun leaders West Brompublished at 07:56 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2020
BBC SportChampionship leaders West Bromwich Albion squandered the chance to go four points clear at the top as relegation-threatened Stoke City held on for victory at The Hawthorns.
Image source, PA MediaThe Potters pulled off the best win so far of new manager Michael O'Neill's brief reign after Tyrese Campbell's early goal lifted the lowly Potters four points above the bottom three.
Hampered by the early loss of on-loan creative influence Grady Diangana, the Baggies were blunted by a disciplined defensive display from the visitors.
Albion simply did not create enough good chances and, when they did threaten, too many shots were off target and England international goalkeeper Jack Butland was in commanding form.
HS2 station designs revealed amid doubts over project's futurepublished at 07:41 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2020
Updated designs for HS2 railway stations in the West Midlands have been unveiled.
The images come amid Monday's news that the new high speed rail link designed to connect London to the north via Birmingham could cost £106bn, casting fresh doubt on whether the project will be realised.
Image source, HS2Image caption, Curzon Street
HS2 hopes the stations will be some of the most environmentally-friendly in the world.
Image source, HS2Image caption, Solihull Interchange.
Under plans, Curzon Street in Birmingham and Solihull Interchange both include sustainable water and power technologies to have net "zero carbon" output, the company says.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps has asked for more data before making a "massive decision" on the future of HS2 following the hike in estimates of the total cost.
Image source, HS2Image caption, Curzon Street
Video: Your 30-second weather forecastpublished at 07:28 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2020
Sara Blizzard
BBC WeatherEarly patches of fog will clear to leave a cloudy day with some bright spells and highs of 7C (45F).
Media caption, Latest weather for the West Midlands
New £22m station could open within weekspublished at 07:19 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2020
A new £22m railway station could open as soon as 2 February a regulator has said, following years of delays.
Worcestershire Parkway station, in Norton, near junction seven of the M5, was originally expected to welcome its first passengers in summer 2017.
The Office of Rail and Road, in charge of safety on the railways, said it was still awaiting documentation from the project team before the opening date could be confirmed, with just a few days left before the deadline.
Image source, Andy YoungAs recently as three months ago, it was expected to open in December 2019.
Today, Worcestershire County Council refused to be drawn on the situation, but in an update a month ago said it was targeting early 2020.
When it opens, it is expected to cut journey times between Worcester and London to less than two hours.
Live updates for the West Midlandspublished at 07:01 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2020
Vanessa Pearce
BBC NewsWelcome to our live service for Tuesday.
We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather for the West Midlands.
You can get in touch via email,Twitter, external and Facebook., external
Saving a Victorian railway viaductpublished at 01:27 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2020
The Severn Valley Railway is spending £1.3m on repairing the crumbling structure.
Read MoreStoke stun out-of-form leaders West Brompublished at 21:57 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2020
Championship leaders West Brom's poor run of form continues as Tyrese Campbell's early goal condemns them to defeat by Stoke.
Read MoreVilla sign Genk's Samatta for £8.5mpublished at 20:59 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2020
Aston Villa complete an £8.5m deal for Genk's Tanzania striker Mbwana Samatta.
Read MoreOur live coverage across the daypublished at 19:00 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2020
We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 tomorrow, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening and into the morning.
Wolves chasing Olympiakos winger Podencepublished at 18:58 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2020
Wolves are hoping to agree a fee for Olympiakos winger Daniel Podence, who is valued at more than £20m.
Read MoreCouncil cracks down on blue badge misusepublished at 18:54 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2020
Dudley Council is to launch a crackdown on motorists who falsely use disabled parking permits to avoid charges.
The local authority estimates that 3,000 drivers in the area misuse the blue badges.
The most common form of fraud is using the permit in a vehicle when the disabled person isn't present.
Cancelling HS2 would do 'irreparable damage'published at 18:44 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2020
Some of the UK's largest construction firms have written a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to warn that cancelling the project would do "irreparable damage" to the industry, costing thousands of jobs, the Times newspaper reported, external.
Image source, PA MediaBalfour Beatty, Skanska, Morgan Sindall, Costain, Mace and Sir Robert McAlpine are among firms arguing that a dearth of other big projects mean skills could be lost.
Claire Walker, co-executive director of policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, told the BBC on Monday that the project must go ahead. "Business communities are united that this project should be delivered and should be delivered in full," she said.
The review, led by former HS2 chairman Doug Oakervee, comes as about 15 Conservative MPs from across England prepare to meet the prime minister this week to raise significant concerns about the project.
Carjacking victim sprayed in face with substancepublished at 18:37 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2020
Allen Cook
BBC NewsA driver's been sprayed in the face with a substance before his car was stolen, police have said., external
Image source, GoogleHe was with a passenger in a grey Vauxhall Astra this morning on the Asda car park, Wolstanton, Staffordshire, when officers said two Asian men came up to the vehicle.
After spraying the substance, the pair were threatened and forced out of the car before it was driven away.
The force has confirmed the substance wasn't corrosive and both driver and passenger weren't seriously hurt.
Around the web: Leak fears over cemetery planpublished at 18:31 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2020
A few of the stories from the Worcester News:
Cyclist dies in hospital after crashpublished at 18:23 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2020
Allen Cook
BBC NewsA cyclist's died in hospital after a collision involving a car in Coventry this morning.
Image source, GoogleThe 38-year-old man suffered serious injuries in the crash on Tamworth Road, Kerseley, West Midlands Police said. , external
Officers said the driver of the car is helping them with their investigation.
Independent inquiry on disgraced surgeon to be publishedpublished at 18:13 Greenwich Mean Time 20 January 2020
A delayed independent inquiry into the disgraced breast surgeon Ian Paterson will be published on 4 February.
Image source, PA MediaPaterson is serving a 20-year sentence for carrying out unnecessary cancer operations on patients.
About 150 patients gave evidence in 2018 and dozens more are understood to have since come forward.
The report was initially due out last summer and then delayed again to be out before the end of 2019.
However, as the general election was announced and Parliament must be sitting for the inquiry to report, publication was again put back, the team said.
Victims of the disgraced surgeon at the time said the decision to delay the findings until after the election was "disappointing and difficult".
