Summary

  • Updates from Monday 10 February to Sunday 16 February

  1. Eid: The young Muslims tackling fasting and footballpublished at 07:23 British Summer Time 13 May 2021

    For young Muslim footballers like Omar and Rahma, it's vital that faith and football go together.

    Read More
  2. Gen Z councillors hoping to shape communitiespublished at 06:16 British Summer Time 13 May 2021

    Five politicians aged under 30 speak about why they stood in the local council elections.

    Read More
  3. Cases of South Africa variant found in Redditchpublished at 21:18 British Summer Time 12 May 2021

    Worcestershire County Council said the cases have not been traced back to international travel.

    Read More
  4. Men jailed for killing 'peacemaker' fatherpublished at 19:16 British Summer Time 12 May 2021

    Reece Cox was killed after stepping in to help when a gang began attacking another man, police say.

    Read More
  5. CCTV shows attack on 'peacemaker' fatherpublished at 19:16 British Summer Time 12 May 2021

    Footage released by police shows an attack on Reece Cox who tried to help another man also being hurt.

    Read More
  6. Veteran with PTSD was 'love of my life'published at 18:26 British Summer Time 12 May 2021

    The partner of Lance Shingler, who served in Iraq, pays tribute to him as an inquest begins.

    Read More
  7. Mo Farah to race for Olympic spot in Birminghampublished at 17:48 British Summer Time 12 May 2021

    Sir Mo Farah will look to book his place for Tokyo 2020 at the British Athletics 10,000m Championships next month.

    The four-time Olympic champion is making his return to the 10,000m - after winning his sixth world title in 2017.

    The first two athletes in the men's trial event who hold an Olympic qualifying standard will automatically qualify for this summer's Games with Team GB.

    Mo FarahImage source, Getty Images

    Farah will be joined in the 12-strong team at the University of Birmingham on 5 June by Marc Scott, Eilish McColgan and Jessica Judd.

    Team leader Rob Denmark said: "We will be looking to achieve the highest possible placing in both the men's and women's team standings and we are confident that the athletes selected can deliver successful results on home soil."

  8. Attempted murder arrest after shots fired in Walsallpublished at 17:34 British Summer Time 12 May 2021

    Last week, we told you how a number of people were injured in an incident where shots were fired in a Walsall street, after a crash involving two cars.

    West Midlands Police have now said a 29-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and is currently being questioned.

    Cobden Street

    Four others arrested in connection with the incident have been released on bail.

    A man aged 20, and 34-year-old woman, who were injured are still in hospital in a stable condition.

    Det Insp Chris Fox said: "We remain determined to fully understand what happened that day and who was responsible."

  9. Unpaid rent debts rise to £2m for councilspublished at 17:19 British Summer Time 12 May 2021

    BBC Radio Shropshire

    Unpaid rent from businesses and shops to two councils in Shropshire has increased during the pandemic to more than £2m.

    Money piled upImage source, Getty Images

    Shropshire Council has seen its losses in the area rise from £27,939 in 2019-20 to £1.6m the year after, with shops accounting for £1.4m of the total.

    For Telford & Wrekin Council, the figure has risen from £278,000 in rent outstanding to more than £500,000.

    Shropshire Council said it would take action where appropriate to get the debts paid.

  10. Do robot lawn-mowers kill hedgehogs?published at 17:07 British Summer Time 12 May 2021

    Researchers discover that some lawn-mowers are capable of delivering life-threatening injuries.

    Read More
  11. Taser 'working properly' before use on Atkinsonpublished at 16:26 British Summer Time 12 May 2021

    PC Benjamin Monk's trial hears he allegedly fired a Taser at Dalian Atkinson three times.

    Read More
  12. Appeal after elderly woman robbed near bankpublished at 15:12 British Summer Time 12 May 2021

    Witnesses are being urged to come forward after an elderly lady was assaulted and robbed.

    The 80-year-old was attacked on Chapel Walk in Bromsgrove after leaving the HSBC bank on 13 April.

    Her handbag and some cash was stolen, and the woman suffered serious injuries and needed hospital treatment.

    West Mercia Police has released a CCTV image of a man it wishes to speak to following the attack.

    CCTV imageImage source, West Mercia Police
    Quote Message

    We would like to speak to the man in the CCTV image as we believe he may be able to help with our ongoing investigation and would also ask that anyone passing by the location of incident who may have dash-cam footage to also please get in touch."

    PC Richard Longfils

  13. Waste still burning at scene of recycling plant firepublished at 12:51 British Summer Time 12 May 2021

    An "unstable structure" at the scene of a fire at an abandoned recycling plant is unsafe for crews to enter completely, the fire service says, external.

    Craig JacksonImage source, @SFRS_cjackson

    More than 70 firefighters were involved at the height of the blaze at Greenway Polymers, Ketley, Telford, on 26 April.

    There was still burning waste inside, station manager in Shrewsbury Craig Jackson, said.

    "We need to go into the building in sections in a safe way to bring the waste out, put it into... bays and then treat it with a wetting agent to make sure that the fire is fully extinguished," he said.

    "It's unsafe for the firefighters to enter and also demolition crews. But that is why it's gonna [sic] take some time to gradually work through the building and process the waste."

    Telford Conservative MP Lucy Allan, writing on Facebook, has said the fire was "deeply shocking".

    She added: "The long-term impact on Telford is huge: our natural environment, air, water, health, schools - the multi million cost of the clean up, which could take several years."

  14. Concerns over impartiality of school abuse reviewpublished at 12:28 British Summer Time 12 May 2021

    Ofsted cannot conduct an impartial review into allegations of sex abuse in schools, a teaching union says.

    Read More
  15. TSB offers safe spaces for domestic abuse victimspublished at 12:14 British Summer Time 12 May 2021

    Simon Read
    Business Reporter

    Domestic abuse victims will be able to use "safe spaces" in nearly 300 TSB branches to get specialist support, the bank has said.

    People will be able to get help as lockdown restrictions ease, TSB said.

    A woman with her sonImage source, Laura Dodsworth

    The scheme has been trialled in branches in Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire.

    The initiative, run by domestic abuse charity Hestia, is already in place in more than 5,300 pharmacies across the country.

  16. Banned driver pretended to be twin brotherpublished at 10:01 British Summer Time 12 May 2021

    Lee Roberts is jailed for duping the DVLA to obtain a licence in his twin brother's name.

    Read More
  17. Council set to invest £3.25m on regenerationpublished at 09:52 British Summer Time 12 May 2021

    Stoke-on-Trent City Council is set to invest a further £3.25m to regenerate part of the city centre.

    Meigh Street car park will be demolished as will the adjoining Goodson building.

    Goodson BuildingImage source, Google

    "This site is the single, largest regeneration opportunity in council ownership which we have power over, and we want to make sure that whatever we do on the site connects and benefits the whole city, and isn’t just about he city centre.

    "This additional funding is absolutely vital to make sure the site’s full potential can be unlocked and make sure we get the best outcome for Stoke-on-Trent through its regeneration."

    In its 10-15 year vision for the site, the council has said it wants to include a "transport hub" in the site's redevelopment, which would connect it by ultra-light rail trams to other parts of the city, designed to improve air quality.

    The money is subject to agreement from the council's cabinet.

  18. Police 'daunted' by taking on terror offenderspublished at 08:55 British Summer Time 12 May 2021

    Staffordshire Police took responsibility for managing convicted terrorist Usman Khan after his release.

    Read More