Summary

  • Updates from Monday 1 March to Sunday 7 March

Live Reporting

  1. 'Centre of excellence' at health trust in Birmingham

    BBC Midlands Today

    A University Hospitals Birmingham facility has been recognised as a centre of excellence for patient care.

    Queen Elizabeth Hospital BirminghamReuters

    The Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission was praised following an exercise designed to recognise and award neuro-oncology centres for their excellence.

    Facilities were measured on a range of criteria including excellent clinical practice and training opportunities; emphasis on patient quality of life; providing clinical trials and offering a high standard of research opportunities.

    The human-centred way in which care is organised in the centre of excellence is what you would want for any person that you loved most in the world. They are the places that I would have wanted my mum [Tessa Jowell] to have been treated and any person could know that their most loved one is getting the best possible treatment and care

    Jess Mills, Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission co-founder

  3. Sir Michael Parkinson endorses scheme for miners' memorial

    Broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson has endorsed a project to install a national memorial paying tribute to miners.

    Sir Michael ParkinsonGetty Images

    Chase Arts for Public Spaces (Chaps), which has been raising money for the monument at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, said it had raised more than £92,000 towards a target of £100,000 and felt "confident" financial support would continue to reach the total.

    Sir Michael said he was "delighted to support this long-overdue and worthy tribute" to miners who played "such a significant part in an industry that transformed the world we live in".

    He added people should "all be grateful" miners like his father "did that dirty and dangerous job so that the rest of us could go about our everyday lives in a manner to which we were accustomed".

    Work by artist Andy De Comyn was well under way and a date for work to begin on site at the start of April was on schedule as originally planned, Chaps said.

  4. Leftover vaccine doses given to emergency service workers

    BBC Radio Shropshire

    Health bosses in Shropshire have admitted leftover doses of the Covid-19 vaccine are being given to police officers and other emergency service workers to save them being wasted.

    Bridgnorth Medical Practice - generic imageGoogle

    It comes after reports of a number of police officers turning up at Bridgnorth Medical Practice (generic image above) last week to get vaccinated.

    The move has also happened at the Telford International Centre and at other GP surgeries.

    Dave Evans, who commissions healthcare services in Shropshire, has defended the move.

    If you had two or three people not turn up for their booked appointment, your options are throw the vaccine away or find someone else to vaccinate that either is on site already or could come in. Someone may come in with a carer towards the end of the day and we had... vaccine left over and that carer was then offered a vaccine

    David Evans, Chief officer at Telford and Wrekin CCG

  5. Inexperienced Wolves bench at Premier League leaders

    BBC Radio WM Sport

    Wolves head coach Nuno believes the club will be boosted in the long-term by the extra minutes he's needed to give young players this season.

    Injuries will again mean there's an inexperienced Wolves bench for this evening's trip to the champions-elect Manchester City.

    Manchester City boss Pep GuardiolaReuters

    Pep Guardiola's (pictured) team currently have a 12-point lead over second-placed Manchester United, while Wolves are in 12th position.

    Nuno's sure the likes of 18-year old Fabio Silva will have benefited from the opportunities that have come their way.

    Many, many, many young players that are inside our squad [have had]... much more minutes than expected because the situation [required] immediately their [introduction] in the starting 11. So Fab is one of many youngsters that had to play sooner than they were expected

    Nuno, Wolves head coach

  6. More money to look after most vulnerable in Dudley

    An additional £10m is to be spent on looking after the most vulnerable people in Dudley.

    Hands - genericReuters

    More than £5m is to be invested in adult social care, with money earmarked to meet the rising costs of social care for people with complex dementia and learning disabilities, said Dudley Council, after the budget was approved on Monday night.

    In addition, there is to be a £4.8m extra spend on children’s services.

    The council is to increase the basic rate of council tax by 1.99% next year, with a further 3% for services for older and more vulnerable people. This increase equates to about £1.03 extra a week for a Band B property in the borough.

    We never take a decision to increase council tax lightly. However, with levels in Dudley some of the lowest in the country and the lowest in the Black Country, increases are difficult to avoid if we want to continue to provide services people will be proud of

    Steve Clark, Cabinet member for finance

  7. Two arrested after shop raided

    Two teenagers have been arrested after a vehicle was driven into a Stoke-on-Trent shop during a burglary.

    The McColl's store, in Abbots Road, Abbey Hulton, was targeted at about 04:00 GMT on Sunday.

    A Land Rover Defender was used by the offenders who drove the vehicle at the store a number of times before gaining entry, said Staffordshire Police.

    The pair, both aged 18, are being questioned on suspicion of robbing the store as well as two other burglaries in the area, the force added.

  8. Aston Martin: The billionaire building 'a British Ferrari'

    Theo Leggett
    BBC International Business Correspondent

    This week sees the return of one of the most evocative names in the British car industry to the top level of motorsport.

    Lawrence Stroll

    On Wednesday, Aston Martin will unveil its first Formula 1 car in more than 60 years, from its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire.

    Formula 1 carAston Martin

    The move into F1 is the keystone of a bold plan to revive the flagging fortunes of the company and turn it into a sporting and commercial brand to rival Ferrari.

    It is the brainchild of Canadian billionaire and executive chairman Lawrence Stroll. His intention, he says, is to build a business that will have "the strongest profile of any luxury automotive brand".

    You can read more on the story here.

  9. More than 150 weddings rearranged in one week

    BBC Midlands Today

    More than 150 weddings have been re-arranged in seven days in Shropshire.

    Cake - generic image

    The ceremonies were re-booked after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the road map to remove restrictions.

    Since March last year, more than 1,000 nuptials have been re-arranged, some multiple times.

    Shropshire Council, which rearranged the weddings, says it's also continuing to take new bookings.

  10. Last mountain hares 'need legal protection'

    Mountain hares have new protections in Scotland, but in England they can be culled without a licence.

    Read More

  11. Three arrested after police officers assaulted

    A man has been charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer after one was punched in the head and an attempt was made to headbutt another on Sunday.

    Another charge of the same nature was made against a 21-year-old woman after another officer was bitten and spat at at Nuneaton Justice Centre.

    In another separate incident, a 34-year-old woman was arrested after an officer was kicked in the head after he tried to detain a woman suspected of driving a stolen car.

    She is also being questioned on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and theft of a motor vehicle.

  12. More than 31,500 people get jab in Worcester

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    More than 31,500 people in Worcester have received at least one Covid vaccine so far, according to NHS figures.

    A nurse prepares a coronavirus vaccine - genericPA Media

    Vaccination figures show 31,514 people have received at least one jab as of 21 February - roughly 30% of the total population.

    Of the people in the city who have received at least one jab, 18,875 were aged under 70 and 8,010 were aged between 70 and 79.

    A total of 45,245 people in Wychavon, which includes Evesham, Pershore and Droitwich, have received at least one dose so far, compared to 30,470 across Malvern Hills who have received at least one jab.

  13. Dry and overcast today

    Today is expected to be dry with a good deal of cloud. It will feel chilly under the cloud with light winds of variable direction. Highs of 6 to 9C (43 to 48F).

    Tonight will be dry and cloudy throughout. Mist and fog patches will develop overnight under calm conditions. A cold night with light winds. Lows of 2 to 5C (36 to 41F).

    Get the latest forecast on the BBC Weather site.

  14. Live updates for the West Midlands

    Welcome to our live service for Tuesday.

    We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather for the West Midlands.

    We love to hear from you, so share your news, thoughts and photos of the area with us via email, Twitter and Facebook.

  15. 'We've got an all-year-round summer garden'

    The mosaic, which took Jackie Nash a year to create, serves as a coronavirus tribute to NHS staff.

    Read More

  16. Two die after 11 catch Covid on Christmas Day

    Indy Bains says it has been "devastating" losing his mother and sister to the virus.

    Read More

  17. Scenes in tourist hotspot 'like a bank holiday'

    Police say "countless" numbers of visitors to Matlock Bath were told to stick to lockdown rules.

    Read More

  18. Updates across the day

    Live updates have now ended for the West Midlands.

    We'll be back with you with the latest news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 on Tuesday.

  19. 'Arts and e-sports' offerings could replace department stores

    The West Midlands mayor has unveiled plans to help create 100,000 jobs to replace those lost as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Andy Street's two year scheme includes plans to support 20,000 spaces for paid placements for young people and short courses in construction, digital and healthcare sectors.

    Unveiling his plans he also said the retail sector in the region had been hit hard by the pandemic, and shops like the former John Lewis outlet in Birmingham were unlikely to open again as department stores.

    Mr Street said there was room for "something really innovative" in its place.

    "I'm not saying an indoor ski slope, but there's eSports centres in China, incredible leisure activities, so I think the landlord will think really originally about that space," he said.

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy and privacy policy before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

  20. CCTV images released after men attacked

    CCTV images have been released by police investigating an assault on two men in Stourbridge.

    The men, both aged 23, were attacked by a group of eight teenagers who had been throwing cones at oncoming traffic, West Midlands Police said.

    CCTV imagesWest Midlands Police

    The assault happened on Hagley Road, close to The Crabmill Pub on the evening of 17 October.

    The men sustained head injuries and fractures that left one of them needing surgery to insert metal plates, the force added.