Midlands Live: Breaking news and local stories

Summary

Updates from Monday 16 November to Sunday 22 November

Live Reporting

Four-vehicle crash causing M42 delayspublished at 15:53 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
BBC News Travel
There's queuing traffic on the M42 southbound in Warwickshire after a crash involving four vehicles.
Two vans and two cars crashed before the J9 turning for Coleshill and Curdworth, near Tamworth.
Traffic was held for a time on the northbound carriageway to assist with the vehicles causing heavy congestion.
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Marston’s to move into vacant city officepublished at 15:27 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Joe Sweeney
Brewery company Marston’s has been given the go-ahead to refurbish a vacant office building close to its Wolverhampton city centre headquarters, providing extra working space for more than 250 staff.
Image source, KMB Construction Consultants
St John’s House in St John’s Square has been empty for a number of years, but is now set to house employees relocating from Marston’s House in Brewery Road and also from outside the city.
Refurbishments will see new stairs and a lift tower installed at the back of the building, providing access to all floors from a new reception area.
Storage and training facilities will take up the majority of the ground floor.
Peaty breaks 100m breaststroke world recordpublished at 15:02 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
BBC Sport
Britain's Adam Peaty broke the 100m breaststroke short course world record for the first time with a time of 55.49 seconds in the International Swimming League.
The previous record of 55.61 was set by South African Cameron van der Burgh in 2009.
The swimmer from Uttoxeter, who also set a British record of 25.48 in the 50m breaststroke during the "skins" event, helped London Roar finish second in the ISL semi-finals and qualify for next week's Grand Finale.
Media caption,
International Swimming League: Adam Peaty sets new 100m breastroke world record
Driver arrested over cyclist's deathpublished at 14:25 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
A woman has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after a cyclist died in a crash.
A stretch of the A441 in Alvechurch, Worcestershire was closed for several hours after the crash involving a car and two bikes at about 08:00 on Saturday.
A man in his 40s died at the scene while the other cyclist, a man in his 20s continues to receive medical care at hospital.
The woman has been released under investigation, police say.
Officers are appealing for any witnesses to come forward.
Two charged in connection with armed carjackingpublished at 13:53 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
Two men have been charged with robbery after a driver was threatened with a "zombie-style" knife in a carjacking, police have said.
He was attacked in Upper Sutton Street, Aston, on 13 October before thieves made off with his Audi A4.
The two men aged 18 and 19 were arrested in the early hours of Friday, said West Midlands Police.
They were remanded in custody at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Saturday and next due to appear at Crown Court on 14 December.
Coronavirus testing 'megalab' to bring 2,000 jobspublished at 13:29 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
A new laboratory planned for Leamington Spa as part of the national testing programme is set to create up to 2,000 new jobs, the government has said.
One of two new "megalabs" in the UK, it is set to open early next year and be capable of testing 300,000 Covid-19 samples a day, the government said.
Image source, Reuters
It will also provide a "significant boost" in diagnostic capabilities for other illnesses including cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
The jobs will be "across a broad range of sectors, both at the centre as well as in its supply and manufacture chain," said Warwickshire County Council.
Details of the new jobs can be found here., external
Quote Message
Not only will that mean more tests, but it will also mean they can be processed more quickly, and the time it takes to receive results is reduced."
Baroness Dido Harding, Interim Executive Chair of the National Institute for Health Protection
Quote Message
The new facility will play an important role in the region’s recovery, bringing with it up to 2,000 jobs providing a much-needed boost to our economy. But it is also testament to the work that has gone into making Warwickshire such a standard bearer of technology and innovation."
Izzi Seccombe, Leader, Warwickshire County Council
Socially distanced panto to go aheadpublished at 13:17 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
Organisers say they are pleased to be putting on the show during a "challenging time" for the arts.
Read More
Around the web: Teaching assistant dies 'due to pill'published at 12:54 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
Birmingham Live
These are some of the Birmingham Live headlines today:
- Teaching assistant dies 'due to contraceptive pill' as parents issue warning, external
- Robbers point two huge machetes at man's chest in Balsall Heath shop raid, external
- M54 closes after HGV overturns in smash, external
Man in court on murder chargepublished at 12:28 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
A man has appeared in court charged with murder after a woman was found dead following reports of a stabbing.
The 51-year-old's body was found at an address in George Road in Stockland Green, Birmingham, on Thursday.
Mark Masefield, 52, of George Road, was remanded in custody at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Saturday.
He's next set to appear at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday.
Death of Worcester Warriors' president announcedpublished at 11:50 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
The man credited with the rise of Worcester Warriors to rugby union's elite, has died at the age of 83, the club has announced.
As chairman Cecil Duckworth funded the development of Sixways as Worcester reached the Premiership for the first time in 2004.
After stepping down as chairman, he became the club's president.
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Phone 'hasn't stopped' since The Voice UK winpublished at 11:50 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
Blessing Chitapa's biology teacher says the student even kept up her studies during rehearsals.
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Man killed and three hurt in M6 crashpublished at 11:35 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
A car hit the central reservation near junction three in Warwickshire, police say.
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Boxing: Ball continues winning streakpublished at 11:23 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
BBC Sport
Rachel Ball is now the WBC interim world super-bantamweight champion after defeating Jorgelina Guanini at Wembley Arena.
Image source, Mark Robinson / Matchroom
The 29-year-old from Walsall was supposed to face Guanini for a vacant world title at bantamweight, but when the Argentine failed to make weight, a bout was agreed a weight division higher at super-bantamweight without the reward of a major world title on offer.
Ball - a full-time social worker - shot to prominence by inflicting the first defeat of Shannon Courtenay's career in August and, after soaking up solid shots from Guanini in round three, she started looking sharper and faster when the pair boxed up close.
"I'm happy. It's been a mad week as we didn't know the fight would happen," said Ball, who now hopes to face Australia's Ebanie Bridges for the vacant WBA title she had hoped to contest against Guanini.
Bodies found as police probe 'unexplained' deathspublished at 10:52 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
The bodies of a man and a woman, both in their 80s, have been found at a house in Nuneaton.
Image source, Google
There were "no obvious signs of any suspicious behaviour," said Warwickshire Police, which is treating the deaths as "unexplained".
The couple were discovered at the Bucks Hill property shortly before 15:50 on Sunday, the force added.
Det Insp Carl Buckley described the deaths as a "tragic incident".
Your photos: Red sky in the morningpublished at 10:32 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
BBC Weather Watchers
The BBC Weather Watchers have been out early today capturing some stunning sunrise pictures.
These were taken in Shrewsbury by JemmaMarianne; in Martley, Worcestershire by Ilona; and Hereford by Billie.
Image source, JemmaMarianne
Image source, Ilona
Image source, billie
Man due in court after anti-lockdown protestpublished at 10:04 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
Fourteen people have been issued with fixed penalty notices and one is due in court after being arrested at an anti-lockdown protest in Wolverhampton.
Image source, Tom S
West Midlands Police said it was made aware of 150 people gathering in the city on Saturday.
The force said it attempted to explain that protestors were in breach of ongoing restrictions, but "many did not listen" and refused to disperse.
A total of 15 people were taken into custody, with one man refusing to give his details, police said.
He is due to appear before magistrates today, said West Midlands Police.
Reduced rail service introducedpublished at 09:47 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
Chiltern Railways is running a reduced timetable from today affecting 31 services.
The new schedule will remain in place until the current lockdown ends on 2 December.
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The Voice UK winner revealedpublished at 09:22 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
Newsround
Blessing Chitapa has been crowned the winner of The Voice UK.
The 18-year-old singer from Dudley has won a recording contract and is releasing a debut single Angels.
Media caption,
The moment the winner of the Voice UK was announced
"Winning The Voice UK 2020 is my biggest achievement yet. I am so proud of how far I have come and I'm so intrigued to see what the future holds for me," she said.
"I'm hoping my new single Angels can bless and inspire people to think about a certain someone in their life who has always been there for them."
Second murder charge over fatal shootingpublished at 08:58 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
A second man has been charged with murder after a fatal shooting.
Image source, Family handout
Murtaza Nazir, 26, died on Bagshaw Road, Stechford, Birmingham, on 28 August.
Tahir Zaman was arrested from an address in Sheffield on Friday and later charged, West Midlands Police said.
The 28-year-old from Yardley Green Road in Birmingham was due to appear at the magistrates court on Saturday.
Coronavirus: University to help with 'mega lab'published at 08:43 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2020
A "mega lab" will open in Leamington Spa in early 2021 to try to help double the UK's daily coronavirus testing capacity.
Image source, University of Warwick
It is hoped work done at the lab, along with efforts at another site in Scotland, will increase testing capacity by 600,000.
The latest data shows , externalcurrent capacity is around 519,000 - although the number of tests actually processed is lower.
The University of Warwick, close to the Warwickshire site, said it has been asked to help.
"We believe that we can provide significant assistance that will be crucial to getting the mega lab up and running quickly and effectively," a statement said.