Summary

  • Updates from Monday 26 May to Sunday 31 May

  1. Rugby League player cleared of punching partnerpublished at 15:11 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

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

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  2. Trial date set for nurse accused of baby murderspublished at 12:55 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

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

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  3. Hit-and-run driver has jail sentence increasedpublished at 12:51 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

    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.

    Mohammed IshfaqImage source, West Midlands Police

    His jail sentence was increased to eight years.

    Krishna Devi DrochImage source, Family handout
  4. Smaller county show planned this summerpublished at 12:09 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

    The Shropshire County Show will go ahead this year but it will be limited in its scale because of coronavirus concerns.

    Ian Bebbington, chief executive of the Shropshire West Midlands Agricultural Society, said there would be no marquees or entertainment in the main ring when the event returned to the West Mid Showground on 17 July.

    Shropshire County Show

    Mr Bebbington said it was being scaled down to reduce the show's financial risk and added: "If we have to cancel the show at very short notice then our expenses are limited."

    There will also be fewer trade stalls this year and he said: "It's the Shropshire County Show, Covid-style."

  5. Warning over bogus Environment Agency officers near quarrypublished at 09:35 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

    People living in Newcastle-under-Lyme are being warned about callers posing as workers for the Environment Agency (EA).

    The EA said it was aware of an incident where an individual was claiming to work for it.

    It says staff will always carry ID and never ask to enter your home.

    The agency has been carrying out checks in the area over continuing concerns about the odour surrounding Walleys Quarry, in Silverdale.

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  6. City of Culture festival garden hub to be createdpublished at 09:04 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

    The festival garden site will host comedy and music gigs as well as food outlets and a box office.

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  7. Pedestrian dies after being hit by carpublished at 09:01 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

    A man has died after being hit by a car in Birmingham.

    The pedestrian, believed to be 41, was struck by a white Range Rover in Spring Hill just before 19:00 on Monday, West Midlands Police said.

    He was pronounced dead in hospital a short time later.

    Spring HillImage source, Google

    The driver of the car stopped at the scene and is helping with police inquiries.

    No-one has been arrested, the force added.

    It has appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

  8. Shropshire Council elects first female leaderpublished at 08:43 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

    Shropshire Council has voted in its first female leader since becoming a unitary authority.

    Conservative Lezley Picton replaces Peter Nutting, who lost his seat in the recent council elections.

    Lezley PictonImage source, Shropshire Council

    Ms Picton, who represents the Tern ward, was previously the member responsible for leisure and culture.

    She was elected by her party ahead of the former deputy leader Steve Charmley and said she was "thrilled humbled and excited".

  9. Weather forecast: More sunshine and showerspublished at 08:12 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

    BBC Weather

    The forecast for today is for more of the same, with bright sunshine in-between rain showers.

    Temperatures will reach 14C (57F) in parts of the West Midlands and tonight they will drop to about 7C (45F).

    It's a similar forecast for the rest of the week, but for more informationgo to the BBC Weather page.

  10. Appeal over 1948 London Olympics photo findpublished at 06:22 British Summer Time 18 May 2021

    The photos donated at a photographic show are believed to have been found in an attic clear-out.

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  11. 'We haven't hugged for a year and it feels fantastic'published at 17:55 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    Sandra hasn't hugged her daughter Sam for more than a year due to coronavirus restrictions.

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  12. Police should have raised risk posed by terroristpublished at 16:47 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    Graduates Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones were killed at a Learning Together event in November 2019.

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  13. 'We are hesitant... but it's a step in the right direction'published at 14:42 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    Sophie Madden
    BBC News, West Midlands

    A Shropshire bar-owner said the latest lifting of restrictions was the closest he had got to being able to properly reopen his venues.

    David Gregg, who runs Telford's Albert's Shed, plus Albert's Shed and Albert's Pour House in Shrewsbury, said it was "a step closer to fully reopening".

    Under the new restrictions, live performances will be able to resume at his Telford venue.

    "There are still a lot of restrictions in place," he said.

    "It will mean having a fully seated audience of 100 people, instead of a couple of hundred people jumping up and down in front of stage, but we had experience of it at the end of last year, we're all set up for it and it is something which is better than nothing."

    Staff at Albert's Shed in Telford working under tier 1 restrictionsImage source, Albert's Shed

    “One of our venues in Shrewsbury has not opened since the 20th March last year, but it will reopen on Friday for live music.

    "It is the closest we have got to getting properly open in well over 12 months.

    “We are hesitant really, there is no guarantee all restrictions will be lifted on 21 June, there is a chance we will have to carry on under the current restrictions for a little while longer, but.. it is a step in right direction.”

  14. Risky business for government with lockdown easingpublished at 11:47 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    David Gregory-Kumar
    Science correspondent, BBC Midlands Today

    As ever with coronavirus, today is all about risk.

    The government has decided that despite an incomplete vaccination campaign and the arrival and spread of the Indian variant (B.1.617.2) it is still opening things up today.

    Customers at the The Oak Inn in Coventry,Image source, PA Media

    There are scientists who are very worried the new variant could be much more infectious meaning there's a real chance we will see another peak in deaths as big as any that have gone before.

    But the government has decided to go ahead with relaxing lockdown. That's a risk on their part.

    And now each of us have to make a decision about what sort of personal risk we are prepared to take with our health and the health of those around us.

    Asking people if they've been vaccinated before deciding whether or not to hug them? Sitting inside a badly ventilated pub where people are shouting and singing? It's all about risk.

    Whatever any of us decide today, we'll be watching the numbers as all those little decisions we all take add up to the big picture the government has to deal with in a few weeks' time.

  15. Men charged with 2016 crimes at recycling plantpublished at 11:35 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    The charges do not directly relate to the continuing fire at Greenway Polymers in Telford.

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  16. Cinema 'very excited' about welcoming in customerspublished at 10:53 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    Among the businesses reopening today are cinemas, with some limits on numbers.

    The Regal Cinema in Evesham has had a revamp during lockdown, including a new bar, new toilets and a new roof.

    Regal CinemaImage source, Google

    Eva Moeskops, from the cinema said: "175, 200 max we can get in at the moment, when we usually do have 280 people.

    "Already Friday might is looking really busy, the first Monday is looking really busy so we're very, very excited about that."

  17. Circus helped develop reopening planspublished at 10:16 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

    BBC Radio Stoke

    Cheshire-based Gandeys Circus has been working with the government on pilot schemes for the return of live events ahead of officially reopening.

    The projects have taken place at holiday resorts and led to suggestions of new measures to help tackle the spread of Covid-19.

    Circus tent stock imageImage source, Getty Images

    Binky Beaumont, from Gandeys, said it was great to get back to business.

    “Everything is coming together,” he said.

    “We have had artists flying in over the last two to three weeks who are in isolation, they have to have their Covid test, they have to be in isolation for 10 days, then they have to isolate and have daily test and temperature checks before they are allowed to start and join the rest of the cast for rehearsals, because it is such a big cast.”