Summary

  • Updates on Friday 15 October

  1. Family welcome review into nightclub stabbing casepublished at 11:02 British Summer Time 13 October 2021

    His family pay tribute to the "happy person" who played football "seven times a week if he could".

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  2. Green light given for care home on ex-factory sitepublished at 10:39 British Summer Time 13 October 2021

    The 80-bed home will be built after the demolition of the former Guttercrest factory in Oswestry.

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  3. Pets at Home worker dies after warehouse injurypublished at 10:32 British Summer Time 13 October 2021

    The firm says it is "devastated" by the death of Shaun Potter, 39, from Middleport.

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  4. 'Moving firm to France would halve energy bill'published at 10:19 British Summer Time 13 October 2021

    BBC Midlands Today

    Jobs within the ceramics industry could be at risk if the soaring costs of energy are not tackled, according to the body representing firms.

    Royal Overhouse Manufactury in Burslem - once operated by the Wedgwood family and now Royal Stafford - is spending £2,000 a day a day on gas and electricity and is joining calls for prices to come down.

    Norman Tempest, Royal Stafford

    There are reports that the government is considering business loans to help firms, but Norman Tempest managing director of Royal Stafford, said firms just want to prices to come down.

    "People still have Covid loans so don't loan us money, get the price down," he said.

    "We pay more [in energy] in the UK than anybody else in Europe.

    "If I picked this factory up and took it to France, I could halve my energy bill."

    The British Ceramic Confederation, which represents pottery firms, says energy usage usually accounts for about a third of some of its members production costs, but now that's gone up to 65%, which the organisation says means without help, jobs are at risk.

    Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has been meeting representatives of firms which rely heavily on energy - like those producing steel, ceramics or paper.

  5. Briggs extends Warwickshire contractpublished at 10:03 British Summer Time 13 October 2021

    Spin bowler Danny Briggs extends his contract with county champions Warwickshire until the end of the 2024 season.

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  6. Family of Covid victim pushes for answerspublished at 09:51 British Summer Time 13 October 2021

    BBC CWR

    The family of a man from Leamington have said a public inquiry into the pandemic could provide a lot of answers.

    The prime minister is facing growing pressure to bring forward a public inquiry, due next spring, into how the government handled the coronavirus pandemic.

    Femi and Lobby AkinnolaImage source, Lobby Akinnola

    A Commons inquiry accused ministers of overseeing one of the most important health failures in the UK.

    Lobby Akinnola lost his 60-year-old father Femi, from Leamington, to Covid-19.

    Quote Message

    We were not the first country to be hit by Covid, far from, we saw it progress from China, across Europe, and saw the devastating impact it had in Italy, and still [we] weren't closing borders, still weren't locking down."

    Lobby Akinnola

  7. Relief road decision not expected before Decemberpublished at 09:31 British Summer Time 13 October 2021

    More than 4,000 people have objected to plans for Shrewsbury's north west relief road.

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  8. Coventry tram plans 'great example of collaboration'published at 09:26 British Summer Time 13 October 2021

    BBC Radio CWR

    Coventry's plans for a tram system is a great example of collaboration", the West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has said.

    City councillors have approved £3.2m extra funding for it and the local authority says when it's complete, the very light rail system could offer people a London-style transport service that's more reliable than buses.

    A prototype of the light railImage source, Coventry City Council

    Mr Street said: "Lots of people have come together to make this happen, the city council, the combined authority, also the University of Warwick have done a lot of the design work and now Coventry manufacturing companies have actually built the first prototype, so it's a great example of collaboration."

    About £14m has already been spent on the project - with bids in for almost £100m of future funding.

  9. Couple left without phone line for monthspublished at 09:04 British Summer Time 13 October 2021

    A Newport couple said they were worried after being left without a working landline for a month.

    Elizabeth Beeston, who is in her 80s, is disabled, blind and has type one diabetes. She and her husband Philip say they rely on the landline for emergencies.

    Mrs Beeston said she had "cried every day" over the issue since they moved to their home. Her husband has a mobile, but she is unable to use it because of her disabilities.

    Stock image of landline phoneImage source, Getty Images

    Mr Beeston said they were on priority at their old address, but moved about half a mile away into a bungalow, where a phone was fitted but they were told there was an existing fault.

    They were put on a temporary line, but that also failed.

    "We just can't understand what has happened," he said.

    Provider Shell Energy said they were told about the fault two weeks ago, and have chased Openreach every day since and hope the fault can be repaired quickly.

  10. Free museum entry for people with a TF postcodepublished at 08:55 British Summer Time 13 October 2021

    People with proof of a TF postcode can visit Blists Hill Victorian Town free over three days.

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  11. Petition calls for city tunnels to remain openpublished at 08:41 British Summer Time 13 October 2021

    BBC Radio WM

    A petition has been launched calling for the A38 Queensway tunnels through Birmingham city centre to remain open.

    It's after the finalised Birmingham transport plan was approved by the city council’s cabinet yesterday. Among many other ideas, it suggests closing the tunnels to traffic in the future may be one consideration.

    The council's Conservative group started the petition, but the councillor responsible for transport, Waseem Zaffar, has accused them of “scaremongering".

    The tunnelsImage source, Getty
  12. Police pause consultation on counter opening hourspublished at 08:33 British Summer Time 13 October 2021

    The survey is withdrawn a day after its launch as the force makes "some revisions".

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  13. Today's weather in the West Midlandspublished at 08:17 British Summer Time 13 October 2021

    BBC Weather

    It will start rather cloudy in the West Midlands today, with a chance of the odd spot of light rain. Any rain will ease by the afternoon, and cloud will break to reveal some warm sunshine in places.

    Max: 16C (61F).

    Media caption,

    Weather for the West Midlands

    Tonight, it will be dry with a mixture of patchy cloud and clear spells. Min: 8C (46C).

    For the latest weather updates, visit the BBC Weather website.

  14. Live updates for the West Midlandspublished at 08:10 British Summer Time 13 October 2021

    Welcome to our live service for Wednesday.

    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, external and Facebook, external.

  15. Tell us identity of car park killer, say policepublished at 06:44 British Summer Time 13 October 2021

    A year after Tamba Momodu was shot dead, police urge those with information to come forward.

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  16. Guard of honour for human remains at fire scenepublished at 21:56 British Summer Time 12 October 2021

    The remains are those of David Boswell, a worker at the plastics factory ravaged by flames.

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  17. Witnesses describe 'scrum' in robber restraintpublished at 18:40 British Summer Time 12 October 2021

    Shane Bryant was held down by members of the public after raiding a Co-op store in Leicestershire in 2017.

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  18. Two men convicted of 'violent' park murderpublished at 18:33 British Summer Time 12 October 2021

    Steven Bennett and Suni Singh Gill are due to be sentenced over the death of Anthony Bird.

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  19. New chief fire officer for Staffordshire confirmedpublished at 18:21 British Summer Time 12 October 2021

    Rob Barber is currently the county's deputy chief and takes over later this month.

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  20. Cleaner, greener travel plans are approvedpublished at 18:20 British Summer Time 12 October 2021

    One idea is to shut the A38 city centre tunnels but the council says there are no plans to do so.

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