Summary

  • Updates from Friday 15 July 2016

  1. Jail for phone call fatal crash womanpublished at 18:41 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    A driver who caused a fatal pile-up on the M1 while distracted on her phone is jailed for five years.

    Read More
  2. Our live coverage across the day...published at 18:04 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    We're back at 08:00 on Monday with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather, but keep an eye out here for updates throughout the evening.

  3. Midlanders caught up in Nice lorry attackpublished at 17:54 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    Nick Owen
    Presenter, BBC Midlands Today

    Join me on Midlands Today as I report on people from Birmingham and Leamington Spa who have been caught up in the Nice lorry attack.

    Tune in to BBC One at 6.30pm.

  4. Latest headlines: Race row councillor resigns; and UKIP MEP launches leadership bidpublished at 17:37 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    Vanessa Pearce
    BBC Local Live

    Here's a recap of some of our main stories today:

    - WhatsApp race row Coventry councillor resigns

    - West Midlands UKIP MEP launches party leadership bid, external

    - Director claims Coventry council's 'witch hunt' continues

  5. Watch: Here's your forecast for the weekendpublished at 17:23 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    Rebecca Wood
    BBC Midlands Today

  6. Director claims Coventry council's 'witch hunt' continuespublished at 16:58 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    Vanessa Pearce
    BBC Local Live

    The director of a charitable company, in dispute with the city council, says the authority is continuing to conduct a "witch hunt" by bringing a "disgraceful" court order in front of a judge.

    Open Doors, a city housing provider, lodged a case for compensation after the Local Government Ombudsman ruled the council had abused its powers against the company.

    Coventry Council House

    In what the company's barrister called a "veiled attempt"  to "oppressively stifle a genuine claim" the council brought and lost an application to the High Court for a "cost order" meaning Open Doors would have had to pay £75,000 security, should they lose the impending compensation case.

    The council says "it would not be suitable to comment" as it's an ongoing claim.

  7. Kaiser Chiefs singer Ricky Wilson sad to see legendary Coventry band The Enemy splitpublished at 16:47 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    Coventry Observer

    World famous Indie Rock band Kaiser Chiefs have stated how sad they are to see legendary Coventry band The Enemy break-up , externalafter the group announced its split in April.  

  8. Shakespeare's will: Who got whatpublished at 16:34 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    In the absence of a male heir, Shakespeare left the majority of his properties and possessions to his eldest daughter Susanna , whose daughter, Elizabeth Hall,  received the bulk of his plate, silver and other metal-ware.

    Younger daughter Judith received a considerable bequest of £300 to be paid in two installments along with a personal gift of a silver gilt bowl.

    ShakespeareImage source, National Archive

    To his wife, Anne, he left his "second best bed"  - which some scholars have interpreted as a direct insult - but others point out it would have held great value. 

    His best bed was left to daughter Susannah.

    Will's will is going on display at Stratford-upon-Avon for the first time but only for three weeks.

  9. Sullivan struggles to make the cut at The Openpublished at 16:12 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    Ged Scott
    BBC Sport at Royal Troon

    Nuneaton golfer Andy Sullivan’s hopes of winning the Open fell away on day two at Royal Troon as he slipped to a five-over 76, 11 shots off the pace.

    Ryder-Cup hopeful Sullivan was the leading Englishman after a first-day four-under-par 67, but he was thrown off course by a triple-bogey 7 at the 7th.

    Andy SullivanImage source, Getty Images

    Three more dropped shots followed and it looks like it could be only a late birdie at 16 that ensures he makes it safely through to the weekend.

  10. WhatsApp race row councillor resignspublished at 15:52 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    A councillor in Coventry resigns from the party after saying non-English speakers were "taking over" the country and should "go home".

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  11. West Midlands MEP announces he is running for leadership of UKIPpublished at 15:35 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge announces he is running for UKIP party leadership

  12. Watch: What will the weather be like later?published at 15:15 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

  13. Heavy traffic on M6 northboundpublished at 14:53 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    BBC Travel

    There's a lane closed and heavy traffic on the M6 northbound between J2, M69 (Coventry) and J3, A444 (Nuneaton), because of debris on the road, BBC Travel reports. 

  14. The World War One soldier who came back from the deadpublished at 14:31 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    Sons, brothers and fathers were sometimes reported dead during World War One, when, in fact, they were very much alive.  

    One such soldier, Pte Fred Joslin, and the father of former Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police, Peter Joslin, was 19 when he was "killed" in machine gun fire.

    Pte Fred JoslinImage source, Peter Joslin

    There had already been a church service in his memory when Pte Joslin wrote home from a hospital in Malta, where he was in hospital.

    Peter Joslin said his father's death warrant had hung over their mantelpiece for years.  

    As soon as the injured solider had recovered he was sent back to the front line, so did not immediately return home to be reunited with his family and friends who had thought he was dead.

  15. Calls for Coventry city centre alley to be sealedpublished at 14:05 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    Coventry Telegraph

    Calls are being made for a shortcut on Coventry’s The Burges to be sealed off amid claims it is being used for drug abuse, external, violent attacks and as a public toilet.  

  16. Brexit: One month on from the insurrectionpublished at 13:46 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    Nearly one month on from that epic referendum result, I've been sounding out opinions in the part of Britain which voted more enthusiastically than anywhere else for the UK to leave the EU.

    Read More
  17. UKIP MEPs vie to replace Farage as leaderpublished at 13:19 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    Bill Etheridge becomes the third UKIP MEP to join the race to succeed Nigel Farage as party leader.

    Read More
  18. Bastille Day attack: Eyewitness accountpublished at 13:18 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    A man has been describing how he was watching a street performer with his friends when the attack which has killed at least 84 people, in Nice, France, started.

    Jim Harris from Leamington Spa in Warwickshire said there was a sudden "massive surge of people."

    "We didn't want to get trampled so we just turned and tried to run with them".

    Scene of Nice lorry attackImage source, PA

    "Some old guy fell down in front of me, so I had to stop and help him up".

    "After that I lost track of my friends.

    "I had to wait and try and find them again, but I stayed there and felt quite safe with all the police circulating around".

    You can follow live updates on the lorry attack here.

  19. Conservative councillor resigns from party over immigration remarkspublished at 13:07 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    A councillor has resigned from the Conservative party after admitting making controversial comments about immigration and multi-culturalism. 

    Glenn Williams, who was the councillor for Bablake on Coventry City Council, offered his resignation to the party last night after details of a private Whatsapp conversation to a fellow Conservative Party member were published in the Coventry Telegraph, external.

    Cllr Glenn WilliamsImage source, Coventry City Council

    Speaking to BBC Coventry & Warwickshire this morning the councillor admitted to saying he agreed with the views of Enoch Powell in the "late night" conversation.

    "When you're talking with a friend late at night, you do say things in a different sort of way then you would when you're in the council chamber", he said.