Summary

  • Updates on Monday 4 April 2016

  1. 'Significant' lead prompts murder case reopeningpublished at 12:16 British Summer Time 7 October 2020

    George Tweedie died from a blow to the head before being found in a burnt-out car in Buxton.

    Read More
  2. Tripling of city's Covid-19 rate 'alarming'published at 11:50 British Summer Time 7 October 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service
    Tom Davis

    A near tripling in the rate of new coronavirus cases in Coventry in a month is "alarming", according to the city council's leader.

    Area around Coventry CathedralImage source, Google

    The latest figures for the seven days to 3 October show 98.8 new cases per 100,000 people compared with 33.65 for the first seven days of September.

    The government is expected to confirm a new "three-tier" approach to Covid-19 restrictions soon with 100 per 100,000 cases triggering tighter guidelines.

    Nearby areas including Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Sandwell and Solihull have already had new lockdown measures such as banning households from mixing.

    Coventry City Council leader George Duggins said it was important residents help avoid any localised restrictions as he feared there was “no clear pathway out”.

  3. Friendly people 'as common in cities as villages'published at 11:27 British Summer Time 7 October 2020

    Sean Coughlan
    BBC News family and education correspondent

    People living in a city are no less likely to help a stranger than in a town or village, according to research published by the Royal Society.

    Women holding umbrellasImage source, Danny Lawson

    Psychologists from University College London carried out experiments such as pretending to drop things and seeing if anyone came to help.

    Nottingham was the place with the greatest amount of sociable behaviour, with positive results from places including the Warwickshire village of Polesworth.

    Birmingham was middle ranking in the experiments.

  4. RSC says 158 jobs 'at risk' due to pandemicpublished at 20:53 British Summer Time 6 October 2020

    The company hopes to keep compulsory job cuts below 90 and plans to re-open one theatre in December.

    Read More
  5. Brexit warning over university income from EU studentspublished at 17:50 British Summer Time 6 October 2020

    Simon Gilbert
    Political Reporter, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

    Universities could lose up to a fifth of their income as a result of Brexit, one university leader has warned.

    Coventry University

    Students arriving from the EU will need to apply for a visa after Brexit and could face higher tuition fees.

    Ian Dunn, Provost of Coventry University, said currently around 10% students at the city's two universities are from European countries.

    "I would suggest between 10-20% of university income is linked to the European project. That doesn't mean all of that disappears automatically with Brexit but it is of that order," he added.

    The government said it is committed to a points-based immigration system based on the skills people have rather than their country they are from.

  6. Jaguar Land Rover increases production as sales risepublished at 17:12 British Summer Time 6 October 2020

    Car maker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has restored a two-shift work pattern at several UK plants as demand increases for its cars.

    Workers at JLRImage source, Jaguar Land Rover

    The Coventry-based firm has cut thousands of jobs over the past two years amid a slowdown in sales which it blamed on Brexit and then Covid-19.

    Production was halted completely in March during lockdown and then restarted at a reduced capacity.

    But JLR said , externalsales had increased more than 50% in the three months to the end of September compared to the previous quarter.

    To meet the rise in demand, the firm has increased production to two-shifts at plants including Solihull and the Engine Manufacturing Centre in Wolverhampton.

  7. CCTV released over railway attackpublished at 12:53 British Summer Time 6 October 2020

    A CCTV image of a man police want to speak to in connection with an assault outside Coventry's railway station has been released.

    CCTV imageImage source, British Transport Police

    A man was attacked as he left the station on 1 August.

    He had travelled from Birmingham and had spoken to a man on the train about the way he had been speaking to another person.

    It is thought his attacker then got a train back to Birmingham.

    Officers said they believe the man in the CCTV image could have information which can help their investigation.

  8. Ten drivers get stuck in flood waterpublished at 12:03 British Summer Time 6 October 2020

    Sonia Kataria
    BBC News

    Drivers are being warned not to ignore road closure signs after flooding in Leicestershire.

    The county council's flood responder, Ben Nandrame, said a van, stuck in Witherley on Monday, was one of 10 reports of vehicles stranded across the county he has received since Friday.

    Van stuck in floodwater on Mythe Lane, in Witherley, LeicestershireImage source, Anthony Parkes

    Mr Nandrame said Mythe Lane in Witherley (pictured above), Watery Gate Lane in Thurlaston (pictured below) and Slash Lane in Sileby are all closed due to flooding and are not passable.

    However, Merrylees Road, Bagworth, is "passable with due care and attention".

    He said: "Fast flowing flood water can easily move a car and knock you off your feet, so please do not enter any flood water and find an alternative route."

    Flooding on Watery Gate Lane, Thurlaston, LeicestershireImage source, Jason Gulliver
  9. Premiership play-off schedule announcedpublished at 11:20 British Summer Time 6 October 2020

    Wasps will host the first of two Premiership Rugby semi-finals on Saturday, 10 October.

    Read More
  10. HS2 road closure 'utter disaster' for firmspublished at 10:09 British Summer Time 6 October 2020

    A main road linking two Warwickshire towns may close for up to nine months for HS2 construction work.

    Read More
  11. Lockdown boosts demand for Austin Healey partspublished at 17:39 British Summer Time 5 October 2020

    BBC Radio CWR

    Demand for spare parts for Austin Healey sports cars has shot up during lockdown, according to a firm in Warwickshire.

    Austin Healey at AH Spares

    AH Spares, in Southam, has been running for nearly 50 years.

    Since March, the firm said sales had increased by nearly 40% and parts have been shipped across the world, particularly to the USA.

    "We believe it is because the customer is locked down in their garages so they are getting on with their restoration projects that they probably couldn't get on with before," Director Rebecca Kemsley said.

  12. Driver rescued from flood waterpublished at 09:41 British Summer Time 5 October 2020

    A driver has been rescued from flood water in Warwickshire.

    The fire service said , externalcrews from Wellesbourne and Stratford-upon-Avon were called out just before midday on Sunday.

    The vehicle in flood waterImage source, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service
  13. River levels remain high after heavy rainpublished at 09:21 British Summer Time 5 October 2020

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    The rivers Leam and Avon will be closely monitored today after heavy rain at the weekend.

    Garden furniture under waterImage source, BBC Weather Watcher Soadave

    Three flood warnings remain in place , externalwith one on the Leam at Eathorpe, Huningham and Offchurch, near Leamington Spa, and two on the Avon at Wyre Piddle, near Evesham, and Strensham and Bredon.

    The Environment Agency has said it expected water levels to remain high through the day.

    There are also eight flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, dotted across the West Midlands.

    In Worcestershire, the county council has said , externalseveral roads and bridges remain closed while First Worcester said some bus services remain disrupted., external

  14. Coventry City of Culture lockdown art exhibitionpublished at 09:03 British Summer Time 5 October 2020

    Vanessa Pearce
    BBC News

    A Monopoly-style board game about homelessness and a theatre piece telling the stories of refugees form part of a new exhibition.

    ReintegrateImage source, Coventry Creates

    Coventry Creates was put together during lockdown by artists as part of the city's Year of Culture celebrations.

    The result is 18 pieces of digital art which can be seen on the Coventry Creates website from Monday.

    Coventry's year as City of Culture will run from May 2021 to May 2022.

  15. City of Culture lockdown art exhibition launchedpublished at 00:34 British Summer Time 5 October 2020

    Coventry Creates was put together during lockdown by artists as part of the city's Year of Culture.

    Read More
  16. Wasps thrash Exeter to book home semipublished at 16:50 British Summer Time 4 October 2020

    Wasps secure a home semi-final in the Premiership play-offs with a bonus-point win over a weakened Exeter.

    Read More
  17. Cherries top with win over 10-man Sky Bluespublished at 21:53 British Summer Time 2 October 2020

    AFC Bournemouth move top of the Championship after beating 10-man Coventry City in a feisty encounter.

    Read More
  18. Teenager guilty of right-wing terror offencespublished at 18:58 British Summer Time 2 October 2020

    The boy told police he was "nine to 10" on a scale of right-wing terror, with Hitler being a 10.

    Read More