Summary

  • Updates from 21 - 27 June

  1. Raids target 'major illegal streaming network'published at 12:35 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Police make three arrests over a platform thought to have served hundreds of thousands of customers.

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  2. Motorcyclist airlifted to hospital after collisionpublished at 12:17 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    A motorcyclist has been airlifted to hospital after a collision with a car.

    West Midlands Ambulance Service said it was called to the island of the A460 and A519 in Cannock, Staffordshire, at about 09:45.

    On arrival, it said, crews found the female patient with serious injuries.

    She received specialist trauma care at the scene before being taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital by the Midlands Air Ambulance.

  3. German Christmas markets will return to citypublished at 12:02 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Birmingham's traditional market was called off in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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  4. Lifesaving riverside equipment repairedpublished at 12:00 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Lifesaving equipment put by the riverside in Worcester after the death of student Tom Jones has been repaired.

    The emergency rescue pole had become damaged but following intervention by the local authority it is back on the Severn's banks at Bromwich Parade.

    The device has a buoyancy aid and hook at the end to help pull people to shore if they get in difficulties in the water.

    It was installed after the death of Mr Jones, aged 18, who disappeared nine days before his body was recovered from the Severn in 2019.

    The equipmentImage source, Worcester City Council
  5. Frankfurt Christmas market returning to Birminghampublished at 11:47 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Birmingham's annual Frankfurt Christmas market is set to return for its 21st year.

    The event will run from 4 November to 23 December, from 10:00 to 21:00 each day, in an area between Victoria Square and New Street.

    There was no market last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    With planned works around Victoria Square, Birmingham City Council said the market would have fewer stalls this year; a move also taking into account the potential of change or cancellation, should Covid restrictions come back into effect during the winter.

    The big wheel and ice rink is also due to return to Centenary Square and run from 4 November until 9 January.

    The Christmas marketImage source, Birmingham City Council
  6. Drink-driver injured mother and kids in crashpublished at 11:23 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    A man has been disqualified from driving after hitting a car which was carrying a mother and her two children.

    Staffordshire Police said Lee Sorsby, 44, was stopped by officers after colliding with a stationary car on Stafford Road, Cannock, on 23 August.

    He had been driving a Volkswagen Transporter when he struck the back of a Vauxhall Grandland, which inside had the woman and children who suffered superficial injuries in the crash.

    The force said, upon arrival, officers found three empty bottles of vodka on Sorsby’s passenger seat and during a roadside breath test he blew a reading three times the legal limit.

    Stafford Road, CannockImage source, Google
    Image caption,

    The crash happened on Stafford Road, Cannock

    Sorsby pleaded guilty to drink-driving at Cannock Magistrates Court on 15 September.

    As well as a 40-month disqualification, Sorsby, of Glovers Way, Telford was given a community order and told to pay a £1,600 fine.

    Staffordshire Police said he had only just completed a recent disqualification for drink-driving prior to the incident.

  7. A&E youth workers to support the violent and their victimspublished at 10:48 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Three youth workers are set to be stationed at A&E in Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, to support those suspected of being "in a cycle of violence or exploitation", either as victims or perpetrators.

    Russells Hall HospitalImage source, Alamy

    With Home Office funding, it's part of a scheme by the violent crime reduction unit at West Midlands Police. The unit seeks to target the root causes of violent crime, working in partnership with St Giles Trust.

    Funding has been secured for the positions to remain until March 2022 and similar schemes are already in operation at hospitals in Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Coventry.

    Quote Message

    This will give us an opportunity to engage with those individuals in their hour of need and our youth workers will be on hand to offer tailored support to lead them away from the violence that caused them to end up in hospital in the first place."

    Steve Clarke, St Giles Trust

  8. Man jailed for meat cleaver attackpublished at 10:37 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Cleon Smith is sentenced to 32 years over separate bursts of violence against the same woman.

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  9. Who wins on T20 Blast Finals Day?published at 10:20 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Sussex Sharks, Hampshire Hawks, Somerset and Kent Spitfires head to Edgbaston in a bid to be crowned T20 Blast champions.

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  10. Around the web: Council under fire over spending on traffic calming measurespublished at 09:59 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Shropshire Star

    Here are some of the headlines from the Shropshire Star website this morning:

  11. Chefs back hospitality roles in youth jobs schemepublished at 09:40 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Three Birmingham chefs have urged young people to apply for hospitality jobs under the government's £2bn Kickstart jobs scheme before it ends.

    Chefs Aktar Islam, Glynn Purnell and Alex ClaridgeImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Chefs Aktar Islam, Glynn Purnell and Alex Claridge

    The programme matches people aged between 16 and 24 who are on Universal Credit to six-month paid placements. The deadline for applications is 31 December.

    Chelmsley Wood-born Michelin star chef Glynn Purnell, who owns restaurant Purnell's, said the scheme would give young people "an opportunity", adding working in hospitality could "take you across the world".

    He said: "It is a fantastic career and if you want to own the best sandwich shop, then you can do it, it isn't all about Michelin stars."

    His plea was backed up by fellow Michelin star chef Aktar Islam, who runs Opheem, and Alex Claridge, the man behind The Wilderness.

    All three chefs supported a plea by the West Midlands mayor Andy Street for more young people to sign up for thousands of vacancies in the hospitality industry.

    "They're innovative jobs, they're ambitious jobs, we've seen the celebrity chefs - you might end up like one of them in years to come," Mr Street said.

  12. Dancing binmen 'honoured' to feature in Capt Sir Tom Moore bookpublished at 09:06 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Wolverhampton's dancing binmen are set to be celebrated in a children's book from Capt Sir Tom Moore's family about heroes of the pandemic.

    Media caption,

    Dancing round the bins in Wolverhampton

    Jack Johnson, Henry Wright and Adrian Breakwell gained a huge online following and raised money for charity after sharing videos of their dances, which included Grease and Baywatch-themed routines.

    Mr Johnson said the trio were "really honoured" when they were told they would feature in the book. "It really touched our hearts," he said.

    The illustrated, non-fiction work, One Hundred Reasons To Hope, was the idea of Capt Sir Tom's family, and tells 100 stories from the last 18 months. It has a foreword written by his daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore.

    Capt Sir Tom rose to national fame during the pandemic when as his 100th birthday approached, he completed sponsored laps of his garden to raise funds for NHS charities. The effort, which captured public imagination, ended up raising nearly £33m.

    "To him they were all heroes, all of them," Ms Ingram-Moore said. "He always said 'all I did was one small step, everyone else is doing all these incredible things'."

  13. Force's new chief constable starts jobpublished at 08:52 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    The new chief constable of West Mercia Police starts work today.

    Pippa Mills has come to the West Midlands from Essex Police.

    Pippa MillsImage source, Essex Police

    She started her career at the Metropolitan Police in London, before becoming deputy chief constable of Essex in 2017.

    Ch Const Mills is the first woman to lead the West Mercia force.

    She replaces Anthony Bangham, who retired earlier this week after 30 years of service with West Mercia.

  14. Weather: Rain on the way for the weekendpublished at 08:16 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Sara Blizzard
    BBC Weather

    There is a band of rain slowly making its way towards us that's due to start falling just in time for the weekend.

    In the meantime, a misty start this morning will clear and we'll see a few sunny spells into the afternoon.

    Temperatures are set to reach about 21C (70F).

    West Midlands weather 17 September
  15. Ambition for street art to spread across citypublished at 06:20 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    The Digbeth street culture festival is back - with a dream to see artwork across Birmingham.

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  16. Anglers banned from taking salmon catch homepublished at 18:27 British Summer Time 16 September 2021

    Catch and release rules are being introduced by the Environment Agency to protect salmon stocks.

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  17. Victim in manslaughter probe named by policepublished at 18:19 British Summer Time 16 September 2021

    John Bathers is described as a "kind and caring man" in a family tribute.

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  18. Mother wins court case over noxious landfill smellpublished at 18:02 British Summer Time 16 September 2021

    Rebecca Currie says her son's breathing difficulties have been made worse by landfill emissions.

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  19. Covid-19 rates remain highpublished at 17:59 British Summer Time 16 September 2021

    Parts of Staffordshire and Warwickshire are experiencing some of the highest rates of Covid-19 in England, according to the latest official figures.

    Tamworth has seen its rate increase from 418 cases per 100,000 people to 467 in the seven days up to 12 September.

    Only seven other areas in England have a worse rate.

    Nurse delivers a Covid-19 vaccine

    Nuneaton and Bedworth, Staffordshire Moorlands and Cannock Chase are close behind Tamworth, while Telford and Rugby also have rates in excess of 400 cases per 100,000 people.

    Elsewhere in the West Midlands, the number of cases has been fairly level over the period, with many areas seeing modest falls, including Bromsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton.

  20. Sir Elton John tour postponed to 2023 after hip injurypublished at 17:40 British Summer Time 16 September 2021

    BBC Entertainment and Arts

    Sir Elton John has postponed his upcoming 2021 UK and European tour until 2023, due to a hip injury sustained when he "fell awkwardly" this summer.

    Sir EltonImage source, PA Media

    The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour dates will be rescheduled, the 74-year-old singer confirmed on Thursday.

    "It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I am forced to reschedule," Sir Elton said in a statement.

    The planned shows had included an appearance in Birmingham.