Summary

  • Updates for 5-9 October

  1. Murderers who attacked Sarah Payne's killer jailedpublished at 15:25 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    Roy Whiting was stabbed with makeshift weapons in his cell at Wakefield jail in 2018.

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  2. Man in 70s attacked in his homepublished at 15:13 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    A man in his 70s has been attacked in his home and had a silver cigarette case taken from him.

    Warwickshire Police said it happened at a house on Ivanhoe Avenue in Nuneaton shortly after midnight and the victim was left shaken but uninjured.

  3. Floods plan could see £500K spent on new defencespublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    An extra £592,000 will be spent on protecting homes in Solihull from flooding, if councillors agree on new defence plans.

    They will cover 50 properties around Nethercote Gardens and Colebrook Road, in Solihull Lodge, and another 24 at New Road and Park Avenue, in Solihull town centre.

    Netherton Gardens floodingImage source, Lucy Clark
    Image caption,

    Netherton Gardens were badly flooded in 2018

    Solihull Council said £37,000 would come from its own funds and the rest from grants.

  4. Potato buyer handed fine for Covid rule breachpublished at 14:35 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    A party-goer and a driver "out for a spin" are among others handed lockdown fines by magistrates.

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  5. Eight arrested in organised crime operationpublished at 14:16 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    A police operation targeting organised crime in Warwickshire has made eight arrests this morning.

    Officers visited properties in Rugby, Daventry, Bishops Tachbrook and Lighthorne Heath and the seven men and one woman were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply drugs.

    Five were also arrested on suspicion of possessing firearms.

    Warwickshire Police carImage source, Warwickshire Police

    The eight arrested ranged in age from 27 to 77 and are being interviewed by detectives.

    Warwickshire Police said officers also recovered illegal drugs and cash.

  6. Your questions: Can I meet people in a high-risk area?published at 13:31 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    BBC Midlands Today

    The new coronavirus regulations come into force today, so we've been answering some of your questions about the latest changes.

    Yvette got in touch to ask if two households from a medium (tier one) risk area could meet up in a high (tier two) risk area like Birmingham.

    The simple answer is that you can't meet up indoors with people from outside your household in a tier two area.

    But there are some exemptions.

    It's OK to meet up outdoors, although Birmingham City Council has encouraged people not to.

    And it's ok to meet up with people in your support bubble, if you are in one. Read more about support bubbles.

    People in Birmingham in masksImage source, Getty Images

    The government has also said it's ok to meet up in these situations:

    • For work, volunteering to provide voluntary or charitable services
    • For registered childcare, education or training
    • For arrangements where children do not live in the same household as both their parents or guardians
    • For prospective adopting parents to meet a child or children who may be placed with them
    • For supervised activities provided for children, including wraparound care (before and after school childcare), youth groups and activities, and children’s playgroups
    • For birth partners
    • To see someone who is dying
    • To provide emergency assistance, and to avoid injury or illness, or to escape a risk of harm
    • To fulfill a legal obligation, such as attending court or jury service
    • To provide care or assistance to someone vulnerable
    • To facilitate a house move
  7. University to carry out more coronavirus testspublished at 12:31 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    There's going to be more testing of students at Keele University, as part of steps to tackle an outbreak linked to 75 positive coronavirus cases.

    Staffordshire County Council said about 400 students on and off campus have already been asked to take tests.

    Keele UniversityImage source, Google

    A further 80 students without symptoms from two accommodation blocks will be encouraged to book a test.

    More than 300 students have now been asked to self-isolate because they have tested positive or been in close contact with someone who has tested positive.

  8. 'Locust Terminator' fighting worst swarms in yearspublished at 12:24 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    Glasgow-born John Clayton is involved in efforts to control the crop-eating insects in East Africa.

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  9. Your photos: A crescent moon and a misty dawnpublished at 12:10 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    BBC Weather Watchers

    The BBC Weather Watchers have been sharing photos of last night's crescent moon, like this one, taken in Penkridge overnight.

    Penkridge moonImage source, Hazlenut

    And they've also shared photos of the mist that was around this morning, including this one taken at Wolston in Warwickshire.

    Misty graveyardImage source, Emma Gillett
  10. Mayor asks chancellor for more supportpublished at 11:30 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    The chancellor has been asked to give more coronavirus support to the West Midlands by the region's mayor, Andy Street.

    He's written to Rishi Sunak to ask for "comprehensive and proportionate" support, to protect businesses that are "effectively unable to operate because of these restrictions".

    Signature on letterImage source, WMCA

    In his letter, he warned business closures could create a "domino effect" in the West Midlands economy.

    And he asked the government to increase contributions to the job retention scheme in the hospitality sector, as well as more grants and tax breaks for the industry.

    He also asked for funding for other sectors of the economy.

  11. Rail delays after lorry hits bridgepublished at 11:09 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    BBC News Travel

    There are delays to trains going in and out of Birmingham's Snow Hill station, because a lorry has hit a railway bridge near Cradley Heath.

    West Midlands Railway said trains were moving again, but the delays could "continue for a while".

    The collision has also caused problems in the road between Stourbridge and Worcester.

  12. NWCFL to consider season suspensionpublished at 10:46 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    Clubs in the North West Counties League will consider suspending their season until the end of October.

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  13. West Midlands MPs oppose pub curfewpublished at 10:38 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    Three West Midlands MP rebelled against the government in a vote on regulations linked to the 22:00 curfew for pubs and restaurants in England.

    But they did not inflict a defeat on Boris Johnson, with most Labour MPs abstaining in the vote.

    The three were Harriet Baldwin, Craig Tracey and Gary Sambrook.

    ParliamentImage source, Google

    The vote was also opposed by 23 Labour MPs, including former leader Jeremy Corbyn, 10 Liberal Democrat MPs, six DUP MPs and the only Green MP.

    But they lost by 299 votes to 82 - giving the government a majority of 217.

  14. Union in dispute with university over Covid safety concernpublished at 10:19 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    Kathryn Stanczyszyn
    Political Reporter, BBC WM

    The University and College Union (UCU) has declared a formal trade dispute with the University of Birmingham over "serious health and safety concerns" after students returned to campus.

    University of Birmingham

    "Our members are increasingly alarmed at the rapidly rising number of infections amongst students," said branch president Dr David Bailey.

    "Amongst students at the University, the rate of infection now equates to over 1,000 cases per 100,000 students, in just one week."

    The areas with the highest rate of coronavirus infections in Birmingham are Selly Oak and Edgbaston - both areas have large numbers of student accommodation.

    UCU is calling on the University to move all teaching online, except where it is "practically impossible", and restrict the number of staff and students on campus to "essential only".

    The University said it was "extremely disappointed" with the action and accused the UCU of "persisting in unsubstantiated allegations and inaccurate statements".

    "The safety and wellbeing of our staff and students is our priority," a university spokesperson said. "The University adheres to all government and Public Health England guidance."

  15. Coco the spaniel is foundpublished at 09:51 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    A 16-month-old spaniel who was stolen in the Moseley area of Birmingham last week has been found.

    Coco's owner's said she was snatched by a thief in the car park at Moseley Bog, just as she was starting out on her walk at the start of the month.

    CocoImage source, Family photo

    West Midlands Police said there have been eight dogs reported stolen so far in 2020.

    That compares with 18 in 2019, 34 in 2018 and 33 in 2017.

  16. Shopping centre almost full of shopspublished at 09:12 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester

    Five months after it was bought by Herefordshire Council with 17 empty units, The Maylord Orchard shopping centre in Hereford is now almost full again.

    The local authority purchased it in June for £4.5m and it said all but two will have new retailers within a few weeks.

    The Maylord OrchardImage source, Google

    The shopping centre has 42 units and the council said offering rent discounts for local and startup businesses has led to a surge of interest.

  17. New three-tier system comes into force todaypublished at 08:34 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    The government's new three-tier system of coronavirus "alert levels" comes into effect today.

    It means different areas of the country will have different restrictions.

    Birmingham, Sandwell, Solihull, Wolverhampton, Walsall and East Cheshire are all in the middle tier.

    People in masksImage source, Getty Images

    They're described as being "high risk" areas.

    You are not allowed to meet people from other households indoors and a maximum of six people can meet outdoors.

    The other parts of the West Midlands are tier one, or "medium risk"

  18. Weather: Dry and cloudy with some sunshinepublished at 08:13 British Summer Time 14 October 2020

    BBC Weather

    The showers should disappear and we're forecast some dry and cloudy weather, with maybe some sunshine.

    Temperatures will be up to around 13C (55F).

    And the rest of the week looks pretty much the same.

    BournvilleImage source, Shamrock_Sean