Summary

  • Updates from 21 - 27 June

  1. The LGBT café providing a safe havenpublished at 06:03 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    The not-for-profit café has a "pay-as-you-feel" policy so people struggling financially can eat.

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  2. Suicide-prevention dog wins at bravery awardspublished at 19:43 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    German shepherd Calli and PC Megan West win the lifesaver category at the Thin Blue Paw Awards.

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  3. Arrest in hunt for kidnap and stabbing suspectpublished at 19:03 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    West Midlands Police arrest a 41-year-old man following the incident in Solihull.

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  4. Takeaway turned down over anti-social behaviour concernspublished at 17:51 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    Plans for a pizza takeaway in Stourbridge have been turned down over concerns it would increase anti-social behaviour in the area.

    Agent Aymen Mahgoub said developers had worked to address concerns after a previous plan for the former launderette on Lawnswood Road, Wordsley, was rejected.

    Empty unitImage source, Google
    Image caption,

    Developers said the new takeaway would bring the empty unit "back to life"

    Planners at Dudley Council had backed the new proposals, which developers said would bring the empty unit "back to life" and create seven to eight jobs.

    However, resident Sarah McDonald told the meeting on Monday that previous concerns over a fish and chip shop on the parade had "come to pass" with an increase in litter around the shops.

    "When you have seagulls landing on your drive where someone has dropped a bag of chips it is pretty appalling," she said.

    "More worrying is the increase of anti-social behaviour where the majority of residences are bungalows and residents are elderly and vulnerable."

    Ward councillor Peter Miller also spoke out again the plan and said it failed to protect amenities for residents.

  5. River Wye protesters travel to Welsh Parliamentpublished at 17:16 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester

    A group of campaigners have demonstrated outside the Welsh Parliament to protest about the amount of pollution in the River Wye.

    They carried a cardboard coffin, which wild swimmer Angela Jones has been dragging along the length of the river to draw attention to the issue.

    They are calling on the Senedd to take tougher action.

    Swimmers with coffin

    The campaigners say phosphourous levels in the water are rising because of the number of chickens being reared in farms near the river in Herefordshire and Powys.

    The phosphourous then creates the perfect conditions for algae to grow, turning the river green and making it hard for other wildlife to thrive.

    Protesters with coffin outside Welsh Parliament

    In December, Natural Resources Wales found more than half of the Wye was failing to meet pollution targets.

    A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said keeping rivers clean was "an absolute priority".

    Protesters outside parliament
  6. Railway fan's model train collection fetches £100kpublished at 16:43 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    Nigel Thornley's lifelong passion for the railways saw him amass a huge collection of model trains.

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  7. Council apologises over SEND transport problemspublished at 16:27 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    Kathryn Stanczyszyn
    Political Reporter, BBC Radio WM

    A protest is being held in Birmingham over issues with school transport for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

    Demonstration

    Some parents have described having to miss work in order to take their children to school after experiencing problems with a new contractor.

    One of the firms that had previously transported children with special needs had its contract terminated over safeguarding concerns.

    New transport provider HATS said it was "straining every sinew" to get the service that children and parents expect and deserve.

    The council apologised to parents whose transport had been disrupted, but said the problems were down to the "nature of the handover" from the previous contractor.

    Quote Message

    While most routes have run and been on time and we have had a lot of positive feedback I know that is no consolation for those families who have experienced delays.

    Quote Message

    Both council officers and providers are meeting with schools where there have been particular problems and I have met with families this week to listen to their concerns. Whilst HATS and the Home to School Transport team have all worked as hard as they can, mobilising at such short notice has proved to be more problematic than anticipated, due to the nature of the handover from the previous operator."

    Councillor Sharon Thompson, Birmingham City Council

  8. Brummie among Bake Off contestantspublished at 16:06 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    This year's contestants in the Great British Bake Off have been announced.

    They include a police detective, a retired midwife and a software developer.

    Among the 12 bakers is Rochica. The 27-year-old Brummie turned to baking when she was left unable to dance due to an injury.

    RochicaImage source, Channel 4
    Image caption,

    Rochica, pictured third from the right, is an HR business partner

    The junior HR business partner said her weakness was "getting flustered and everything going wrong".

    Prue Leith, one of the judges, says the standard of baking is the highest she's ever encountered.

  9. Man charged after people-smuggling probepublished at 15:43 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    Following a police raid in Birmingham, the 21-year-old has appeared before city magistrates.

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  10. Hundreds of knives surrendered during weapons amnestypublished at 15:21 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    BBC Midlands Today

    More than 1,300 knives, machetes and other dangerous weapons have been surrendered to West Midlands Police over the last six months.

    Knives

    They've been placed in 20 secure collection bins deployed as part of a strategy to help get weapons off the streets.

    Three handguns have also been handed over during the amnesty, says the force area's police and crime commissioner.

    Knife crime has more than doubled in the West Midlands since 2012 and is a problem across the country, he explained.

    "Every weapon that is deposited into these bins is potentially saving a life," said Simon Foster.

    “With this number of weapons collected in such a short period of time, clearly these bins are working by taking dangerous items off our streets."

  11. Tykes-Bears rained off at Headingleypublished at 14:59 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    The third day's play in the County Championship Division One clash between Yorkshire and Warwickshire is rained off in Leeds.

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  12. Football team make history in 18-0 FA Vase winpublished at 14:54 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    Nine different players scored to help the club achieve its biggest margin of victory.

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  13. Arrests over stabbing after police dog's 'brilliant job'published at 14:53 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    Two teenagers have been arrested over a stabbing, after a police dog "tracked for half a mile" to a suspect's door, the West Midlands force said, external.

    A 30-year-old man, who had multiple knife wounds, was in hospital in a serious condition following disorder in Stockwell Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, at about 03:00 on Tuesday.

    Police Dog ViperImage source, West Midlands Police

    Three-year-old German Shepherd Police Dog Viper followed a scent over several streets into a road where a 14-year-old was arrested from an address on suspicion of involvement in the disorder.

    He was found with injuries and taken to hospital for treatment.

    The teenager and a 15-year-old boy, who had suffered injuries and was taken to hospital, have been arrested on suspicion of wounding.

    Det Sgt Marc Petford said: "The dog did a brilliant job at the scene to pick up a scent and follow it over a considerable distance to an address about half a mile away where we made an arrest."

    The man's injuries were not deemed life-threatening, police said.

  14. Boy's lost toy sparks international responsepublished at 14:18 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    Ethan, seven, was sent postcards from people across the world after losing the bunny on a Devon bus.

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  15. Ex-Shrews midfielder Jagielka dies, at 43published at 13:53 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    Former Shrewsbury, Sheffield United, Accrington and Telford midfielder Steve Jagielka, elder brother of Phil, dies at 43.

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  16. Ex-midfielder's death was drug relatedpublished at 13:38 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    Steve Jagielka played more than 170 times for Shrewsbury Town between 1997 and 2003.

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  17. Calls to ban trail hunting amid fox-killing fearspublished at 13:18 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    Trail hunting, which uses a scent, is merely a "smokescreen" for illegal hunting, campaigners say.

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  18. Shopkeeper fears for his children in Afghanistanpublished at 12:18 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    The Coventry businessman says leaving his children behind in Afghanistan is "unimaginable".

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  19. Weather warning for rain updatedpublished at 12:09 British Summer Time 14 September 2021

    A weather warning for heavy rainfall has been updated, with downpours now expected to only affect the eastern parts of the region.

    Weather mapImage source, Met Office

    The rain could bring travel disruption and localised flooding until 21:00, says the Met Office.