BBC Radio Shropshire

Coronavirus has created a backlog of more than 1,100 criminal cases in courts across Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

According to figures seen by the BBC, the caseload of Crown courts in West Mercia is now almost two thirds bigger than at the start of the pandemic, with some cases delayed by years.

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Justice said it had kept the justice system moving, with urgent cases such as domestic abuse being prioritised.

Dr Anushua Gupta describes saying final goodbyes to her family before being placed on life support.

Families with school-age children in Newport are being urged to get a Covid-19 test.

Proposals to redevelop the former Ironbridge power station site and build up to 1,000 homes have been given outline approval.

Telford and Wrekin councillors voted unanimously to give outline permission for the plans.

The power station's four cooling towers were demolished in 2019 with other structures taken down since.

The proposals also include plans for a retirement village, a primary and nursery school, allotments and commercial use.

They will go on to Shropshire Council for a final say at a later date.

A former West Midlands Police officer has been barred from returning to the force.

Oliver Banfield had previously been sentenced by magistrates after he admitted assaulting Emma Homer in Warwickshire last July while drunk.

At an accelerated misconduct hearing yesterday, Banfield, 35, who had subsequently resigned, was told he will be will be added to a College of Policing record to ensure he is unable to rejoin the police service.

Image source, Sally Homer

Following the hearing, the force's Deputy Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine said: “I recognise the distress Emma Homer – who was assaulted and verbally abused by Banfield – has suffered during this time; the actions of this former officer were completely unacceptable.

“I was as disgusted by the behaviour of Banfield as anyone. He is clearly not the kind of person who should ever have a role in policing.”

A fallen tree on the railway near Rowley Regis is causing delays.

Services are delayed between Stourbridge Junction and Birmingham stations.

In a post on Twitter, Birmingham New Street station said a team was on site and preparing to move the fallen tree.

The cases in Stafford, Tamworth and east of the county are linked to households, the council says.

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

Today might be a little drier than the past few days, with top temperatures of 17C.

A trust is given a warning notice over concerns around staffing and governance.

A government notice comes after a court ruled three children were "utterly failed".

A hearing finds "immature" Oliver Banfield committed gross misconduct when he assaulted Emma Homer.

Network Rail says there will be disruption until Wednesday evening due to debris on the line.

Two former soldiers succeed in getting a Cheshire Regiment memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum.

Sarah Ngaba is jailed for 14 years for the assault on her seven-week-old daughter.

Fast bowler Craig Miles signs a new deal which will keep him at Warwickshire until at least the end of the 2023 season.

The River Teme in Shropshire and the River Leam in Warwickshire will be cleaned up, to make the water clean enough to swim in.

Severn Trent is planning to spend £78m on the work and aims to reduce the amount of waste getting in to the rivers.

The money will be spent on a number of projects, which will focus on reducing the amount of discharge from storm overflows, installing disinfection processes at three water treatment works, more river quality monitoring and more work to advise farmers on run-off from fields.

The work has been welcomed by the MP for Ludlow, Philip Dunne, who introduced a Private Members Bill last year, calling for action on sewage pollution.

He said: "I am hopeful that these £78m pilots will show not only an improvement in water quality for wild swimming, which is becoming increasingly popular, but also wider ecological benefit to the Teme.”

Anthony Gelling told the court he was trying to stop his then-partner reversing their car into him.

Shropshire Star

Here are three of the stories from the Shropshire Star today:

• Man in 20s dies in crash, external near Ludlow
• Waiting list for 'routine' hospital treatment at highest point ever, external
• Shrewsbury's new mayor outlines vision, external

Lucy Letby is accused of killing eight babies while working on a hospital neonatal unit.

A hit-and-run driver who admitted causing the death of a grandmother by dangerous driving has had his jail term increased.

Krishna Devi Droch, 62, was struck by a Vauxhall Zafira travelling on the wrong side of the road in Handsworth, Birmingham, on 9 November 2017.

In March, Mohammed Ishfaq, 34, from Leonard Road, Lozells, was jailed for six years and three months and disqualified from driving for 10 years.

But Court of Appeal judges have ruled Ishfaq had been given an unduly lenient sentence.

Image source, West Midlands Police

His jail sentence was increased to eight years.

Image source, Family handout