Updates from 14-20 June
Police have introduced a dispersal zone in Oswestry town centre after reports of anti-social behaviour.
The zone comes into effect from 18:00 tonight and will run until 18:00 on 24 September.
A donation of more than £3,000 is being used to create special kits to help children whose relatives are going through cancer treatment.
The Transport and General Workers Union Benevolent fund has paid for the kits for families going through palliative care at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.
The three different kits are designed to help children of different ages talk about how they feel experiencing a parent living with cancer.
Items in the packs include playing cards, fridge magnets and trees with emotions written on them to show people how they are feeling, as well as books with helpful pointers on for how to address the challenging subject of talking about what is happening to their family member.
Image source, Royal Wolverhampton NHS TrustKelly Pritchard, Support and Information Centre Manager for Macmillan, based at New Cross Hospital, said: “We all know the devastating effect cancer can have on people, not just the patients but their families too and children can struggle to talk about their emotions."
A baby emperor tamarin has been born at Dudley Zoo - with a name you'll either love or hate.
The youngster, named Marmite, was born on 23 July to 11-year-old mum Rae and dad Eddy, 10.
Image source, Dudley Castle and ZooCurator Richard Brown said: “Keepers have yet to confirm its sex, but everyone is thrilled with Marmite’s progress over the last two months and it is already starting to take interest in solid foods.”
Native to the rainforests of South and Central America, emperor tamarins are recognised by their long, white moustaches.
Following a birth, the males take care of the offspring and will carry them around and clean them, only passing them back to the females for feeding.
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Alastair Campbell has labelled a decision to block a Walsall councillor becoming deputy mayor over mental heath issues as "disgusting".
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Tony Blair's former PR man tweeted his thoughts after being made aware of Monday night's full council meeting where the ruling Conservative administration voted against Sean Coughlan - who has openly talked about his battles with depression - taking up the role.
This outcome prompted Walsall Labour group to storm out of the town hall in protest.
Council leader Mike Bird said he and his party colleagues had been accused by Mr Coughlan of pushing him towards suicide and did not want to be in that position again.
Independent Walsall councillor Pete Smith - who also voted against Mr Coughlan - said his decision was not due to the councillor's mental health problems but due to his record as council leader.
Tributes have been paid to a mother-of-one who died in a crash in Warwickshire.
Emily Hasson, 25, from Meon Vale, died when her Nissan Micra was in collision with a Land Rover Discovery in Campden Road, Lower Clopton, at 13:35 on 9 September.
Image source, FamilyIn a statement, her family said: “Taken from us too early, our beautiful daughter Emily leaves behind a three-year-old son.”
Inquiries into the collision continue, Warwickshire Police said, and it urged anyone with information to come forward.
A man has died after suffering a suspected medical episode at the wheel which led to a crash.
Staffordshire Police said officers had been called to Dividy Road, Bentilee, in Stoke-on-Trent, at 09:45, following a single-vehicle accident.
A 53-year-old man from Bentilee was taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
The force has appealed for anyone who saw the vehicle before the crash or who has dashcam footage to come forward.
PA Media
Planned strike action by workers opposing the closure of an engineering factory has been suspended.
Members of Unite at the GKN Automotive factory, in Birmingham, were due to take industrial action next week.
Image source, GoogleUnite said following a meeting with the company, it had been agreed there would be a moratorium on work and machinery being taken out of the factory.
A meeting of stakeholders will be held to seek a way to keep the factory open, so no industrial action will start before 18 October, Unite said.
A golf club has submitted plans to expand its roof terrace, add a driving range and new entrance gates.
Secretary of Wellington's Wrekin Golf Club, Richard Gallier, has applied for planning permission to carry out the building and extension at the club, which was established in 1905.
Plans submitted to Telford & Wrekin Council say the number of car parking spaces at the venue will also be increased to 98.
Image source, GoogleA decision will be taken at a later date.
Jai Singh is accused of killing Sukhjeet Uppal at her Wolverhampton home on Sunday.
Read MoreFrom Phuket to the Peak District - cancer patients visit sun-kissed beaches without leaving hospice.
Read MoreThe preferred candidate to be the new chief constable of Staffordshire Police has been announced.
Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams named Chris Noble as his preferred candidate and his appointment will now need to be ratified by the Police, Fire and Crime Panel at a meeting on 12 October.
Image source, Staffordshire PoliceMr Noble, currently Assistant Chief Constable at Humberside Police, has been a police officer for more than 21 years and has served in the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
He said: "I look forward to serving the people, officers and staff of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent as their chief constable, and working with partners to keep our communities safe."
The girl was in the park with her family when she was lured into woodland, police say.
Read MoreA large crowd gathers outside Westminster Magistrates' Court in support of the three men.
Read MoreLocal Democracy Reporting Service
Businesses affected by the Metro works on Corporation Street deserve an apology and compensation, Birmingham’s council leader has said.
Repairs to the Metro route laid as recently as in 2016 have now entered their ninth week and Ian Ward said the work had put some "extremely angry" firms "back to square one" following slow improvements in the wake of the pandemic.
Image source, GoogleA meeting of the board of the West Midlands Combined Authority - responsible for transport in the region - heard it was only "new works", rather than repair works, where compensation could be paid out.
Mr Ward said: "I am given to understand the combined authority is hiding behind the fact that under the current policy, compensation is only paid out for new works... if you go and have a look at what is going on - effectively, the infrastructure is coming out and new work then goes on to put the whole thing back again."
Laura Shoaf, interim WMCA chief executive, said if there was "a desire to re-look at that policy, that can be done through you as the transport lead".
She said the policy had been put in place in line with highway maintenance and repairs issues.
A Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) spokesperson said the "stakeholder team has regularly met with businesses and taken on issues on their behalf including arranging access for deliveries, supporting refuse collection and providing window cleaning".
Officers believe the children, last seen in north London, are with their father and grandmother.
Read More
BBC Midlands Today
The warm-up track at the Alexander Stadium has been completed ready for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Image source, PA MediaOlympian Laura Muir and Paralympian Kadeena Cox (pictured) have tried out the new track and they have been given a tour of the building work in the main stadium which is being rebuilt at a cost of £72m.
Quote MessageIt does look very different yeah, but in a very good way... It's so exciting to kinda see the transformation already and I think already you can just tell that the atmosphere for next year is gonna be so fantastic for both the audience and the athletes."
Laura Muir, BBC
Here are some of the stories from the Shropshire Star:
Two guns were fired at a car in Wolverhampton, police said.
A black VW Golf was shot at in Ashland Street, Penn Fields, just before 23:00 BST on Monday.
West Midlands Police said it did not believe anyone had been injured and suspected the shooting had been targeted.
Image source, GoogleThe force said detectives were reviewing CCTV footage and carrying out inquiries, with visible patrols in the area.
It said it was keen to hear from anyone who had seen a group of males riding push bikes in the area before the shooting.
Local Democracy Reporting Service
The leader of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (SMDC) has said lives will be put at risk due to a decision to close the district's two ambulance stations on 3 October.
Image source, ReutersWhen the bases in Leek and Biddulph close, the nearest ambulance base will be a central hub in Stoke.
SMDC leader Sybil Ralphs said the average driving time, using blue lights, from the Stoke hub to Leek town centre was 20-25 minutes and some rural areas required an additional 25-45 minutes due to their remote location.
She said: "While I appreciate there is increasing and unprecedented demand on the NHS and ambulance services across the board, I am concerned that the people of Leek and Staffordshire Moorlands will be failed by not receiving the service they deserve."
An ambulance service spokesperson said there were "spare ambulances at the hubs, but not at CAS (community ambulance stations) sites".
The spokesperson stated: "So if the crew are delayed at hospital, which happens, it means the crew that are coming on to relieve them don't have an ambulance to use, so we lose that crew for however long the delay is."
They added by "closing the CAS sites we are actually increasing the amount of ambulance time available to respond in the area".
Today, any morning mist and fog patches will lift to leave a mostly sunny day. In the afternoon, variable cloud will push in from the west at times but it should remain dry with sunny spells and will be warm. Highs of 17C to 20C (63F to 68F).
This evening and tonight will see some bands of cloud move in at times, but there will be plenty of clear spells throughout the night. A gentle westerly breeze will continue. Lows of 11C to 14C (52F to 57F).
