Summary

  • Updates from Monday 17 May to Sunday 23 May

  1. Man jailed for karate kicking pensioner into riverpublished at 16:29 British Summer Time 10 June 2021

    Footage of Benjamin Bridgeman assaulting the 74-year-old fisherman was posted on Snapchat.

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  2. Thousands donated after hospice shop burglarypublished at 15:33 British Summer Time 10 June 2021

    A children's hospice charity says it is "overwhelmed" to get £21,000 in donations after one of its shops was damaged in a break-in.

    A charity tin ripped openImage source, Acorns Hospice

    Thieves caused thousands of pounds worth of damage in the burglary at the Acorns Children's Hospice shop in Kings Heath, Birmingham, on Monday night.

    The charity said hundreds of people had donated £24,000 within 24 hours of a fundraising page being set up.

    Chief executive Toby Porter said the total so far would pay for three full days of care at one of its hospices.

  3. Around the web: Cotterill urges everyone to get jab after his hospital battlepublished at 15:05 British Summer Time 10 June 2021

    Shropshire Star

    Here are some of the stories on the Shropshire Star website:

  4. NHS worker took Covid patient's card to buy snackspublished at 14:54 British Summer Time 10 June 2021

    Ayesha Basharat used the card to buy crisps and sweets in the hospital, police say.

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  5. Pair shot over £200k debt, jury hearspublished at 14:53 British Summer Time 10 June 2021

    Will Henry and Brian McIntosh were killed by a man who allegedly owed them £200,000, a court hears.

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  6. Firms urged to bid to make West Midlands BBC documentariespublished at 14:42 British Summer Time 10 June 2021

    Production companies in the West Midlands are being asked to come up with documentary ideas by a new BBC partnership.

    BBC logo on a building

    The move is part of the corporation's focus on championing talent and creativity in the region.

    The partnership, involving BBC England, BBC Three and Create Central, is asking for ideas which reflect the life experiences of 13-24 year-olds by 22 July.

    Two production firms will be commissioned to make a film each in the lead up to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

    Create Central was created by TV and film figures from the West Midlands, including Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, to boost the region's creative output.

  7. Packed Edgbaston crowd enjoy solid England startpublished at 13:52 British Summer Time 10 June 2021

    BBC Midlands Today

    There are about 18,000 spectators watching test cricket at Edgbaston today, as part of the government's pilot scheme to get crowds back at sporting events.

    The ground is at 70% capacity for the match between England and New Zealand.

    Spectators at EdgbastonImage source, PA Media
    Edgbaston crowd
    Edgbaston crowd

    Stuart Cain, the chief executive of Warwickshire County Cricket Club, said the match would "start demonstrating again what live events look like and how good an English summer can be when you have got full stadiums again."

    England won the toss and chose to bat and have had a good morning, reaching 72-1, but Warwickshire's Dom Sibley has just gone for 35, caught off the bowling of Matt Henry.

  8. Female bricklayer wants to be a role modelpublished at 13:43 British Summer Time 10 June 2021

    Ruksaar Altaf says she wants to show her son "you can get whatever you want" if you work hard.

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  9. Your photos: Eeerie solar eclipse captured through cloudspublished at 13:13 British Summer Time 10 June 2021

    Much of the Northern Hemisphere has been able to witness a solar eclipse this morning and BBC Weather Watchers have been posting their images of the rare event.

    We've experienced an annular eclipse which means the Moon moves across the face of the sun but doesn't completely block out the light coming from it.

    In Worcestershire, Weather Watchers Troutie and Nikconuser captured images in Malvern and Kidderminster respectively and Chris L in Ross on Wye, Herefordshire.

    The eclipseImage source, Troutie
    The eclipseImage source, Chris L
    The eclipseImage source, Nikconuser
  10. Public to see redeveloped RSC costume workshoppublished at 13:06 British Summer Time 10 June 2021

    Thousands of pairs of shoes and 36 mannequins were moved due to the restoration and redevelopment.

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  11. Thousands head to Edgbaston for post-lockdown Test cricketpublished at 11:46 British Summer Time 10 June 2021

    BBC Radio WM

    Cricket fans have been heading to Edgbaston for the second Test between England and New Zealand.

    A crowd of about 18,000 is expected with the ground at 70% capacity under the government's pilot scheme for live events after the Covid lockdown.

    Warwickshire County Cricket Club, who run Edgbaston, said fans had to show proof of a negative lateral flow test result in order to get in., external

    You can follow coverage of the second Test here on the BBC website.

    Fans outside Edgbaston
    Stadium staff queuing to start work
  12. Man charged with murder over street stabbingpublished at 11:32 British Summer Time 10 June 2021

    Abdi Mohamed was found with neck injuries and died later in hospital, say police.

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  13. 'Surreal' Hollywood experience for Coventry diverpublished at 11:14 British Summer Time 10 June 2021

    A Coventry diver who helped rescue 12 boys from a flooded cave in Thailand three years ago says it's "surreal" to see the story being made into a Hollywood film, with his part played by Viggo Mortensen.

    Rick Stanton has been to see the film, directed by Ron Howard, being made and said: "It’s got all the perfect ingredients for a drama film."

    Rick Stanton

    And Mr Stanton said he was still "immensely proud" of his role in rescuing the boys.

    But despite 40 years' cave diving experience, he said nobody had known if the operation would succeed.

    And he added: "It wasn’t until that final boy was out that we were able to let our guard down and celebrate."

  14. McIntyre and Brookes to leave Waspspublished at 10:17 British Summer Time 10 June 2021

    Props Simon McIntyre and Kieran Brookes are to leave Premiership side Wasps at the end of the season.

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  15. Covid-19 rates continue to risepublished at 10:00 British Summer Time 10 June 2021

    Most parts of the West Midlands saw a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in the latest official figures.

    It comes as the government ponders whether to relax restrictions further on 21 June.

    Birmingham saw 763 new cases in the seven days up to 5 June, up from 495 the week before.

    Health bosses have previously attributed a recent rise to the spread of the India variant, named Delta by the World Health Organization.

    Graphic

    The Staffordshire Moorlands saw the biggest increase in the rate of new infections in the region - a three-fold rise to 100.6 cases per 100,000 people, up from 32.5. However, the overall numbers remain low (99 cases).

    Every part of the West Midlands saw a rise in cases week-on-week, except Dudley, Worcester, East Staffordshire, Stafford, Malvern Hills and Wychavon.

    However, the north west of England continues to be the worst-affected part of the country.

    Blackburn and Darwen currently has a rate of 579.2 per 100,000 people.