Summary

  • Funeral of Coventry woman who died working in Cyprus

  • Renewed CCTV appeal over assault

  • Eels get special 'ladder'

  • 'Inadequate' health body told to improve

  • 'One in five' killed or seriously injured on roads is over 60

  • End of the line for 'longest' bus route

  • Updates from Friday 22 July 2016

  1. Any regrets about Brexit?published at 19:05 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    One month since Britain voted to leave the European Union, BBC News has been listening to voices from around the UK.

    Read More
  2. Our coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    We're back from 08:00 with more news, sport, travel and weather updates, but keep an eye out here for breaking news during the evening and into the morning.  

  3. One of the wonders of the West Midlands was almost never builtpublished at 17:54 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    Joan Cummins
    Midlands Today reporter

    It's one of the wonders of the West Midlands - the Edstone aqueduct in Warwickshire is 200 years old and the longest in England at almost 500 feet. 

    It was almost never built though, as I found out earlier. 

    Media caption,

    'Wonder of the West Midlands' celebrates birthday

  4. On Midlands Today at 18:30: A Warwickshire wonderpublished at 17:49 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    Mary Rhodes
    Presenter, BBC Midlands Today

    This evening on BBC Midlands Today we'll hear from an inquest into the deaths of five men who were killed after a wall collapsed on them.   

    The scene of the wall collapseImage source, PA

    We'll also hear a warning from police in the region of the dangers of carrying replica guns in public - and about one of the wonders of Warwickshire. 

    All these stories and much more on BBC One from 18:30

  5. M6 crash: Car 'rolled several times onto carriageway'published at 17:41 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    A stretch of the M6 between Rugby and Coventry was closed for several hours earlier following a crash. The fire service has detail on this morning's collision between Junctions 2 and 1 - since reopened.

    A spokesperson for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue service said: "The vehicle had left the northbound carriageway and rolled several times onto the southbound carriageway. Two people were trapped in the vehicle.

    Crashed carImage source, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service

    "Crews from Nuneaton and Bedworth used hydraulic cutting equipment to rapidly extricate the casualties. One casualty was taken via land ambulance and one via air ambulance.

    "Crews from Fire, Ambulance, Air Ambulance, Police and Highways worked extremely hard as a multi-agency team in very hot and difficult conditions to save the lives of those involved in the incident."

  6. BBC Weather Watcher pictures: Sunshine in Fazeley and Biddulphpublished at 17:39 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    BBC Weather Watchers

    The sunshine's brought out plenty of great pictures from our BBC Weather Watcher volunteers.

    Here's a couple from user On the Moor in Biddulph and Shane's place in Fazeley, Staffordshire.

    Fazeley, StaffordshireImage source, Shane's place
    BiddulphImage source, On the moor
  7. Latest: Crash shuts section of M6; heat cancels RSC Hamlet performancepublished at 17:35 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    - Car rolls several times across carriageways, closing part of M6

    - Too hot for Hamlet

    - Fake guns: Can you spot the difference?

  8. Travel: Coventry delays warningpublished at 17:29 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    BBC Travel

    There is slow traffic on the A46 southbound in Coventry, at Tollbar Island, in the roadworks area, drivers are warned.

  9. Fake guns: Can you spot the difference?published at 17:23 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    Armed police in the West Midlands have in recent weeks been called to 80 cases of replica firearms being mistaken by the public for the real thing.

    Read More
  10. West Midlands MEP 'would back return of the death penalty'published at 16:53 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    Rob Mayor
    Black Country Political Reporter, BBC WM

    West Midlands MEP and UKIP leadership candidate Bill Etheridge says there should be a referendum on the death penalty and he would back its reintroduction.  

    He said: “For my part I believe that the very worst crimes deserve the ultimate penalty and I propose that those who murder and rape children, those that commit sadistic acts of murder and torture and those that commit acts of murder through terrorism against our country or our people should be subject to the death penalty at the discretion of the presiding judge."

    Bill Etheridge

    The MEP, who stood in 2012 as UKIP’s Police & Crime Commissioner candidate in the West Midlands Police force area, also said three strikes should mean "life behind bars for violent criminals".

    The death penalty is opposed by the UK government, Amnesty International, the UN, the European Union and 16 US states.

  11. Warwickshire aqueduct praised on 200th birthdaypublished at 16:39 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    Joan Cummins
    Midlands Today reporter

    England's longest aqueduct has been praised as it celebrates its 200th birthday. 

    Canal boat goes along aqueduct

    The Edstone aqueduct in Warwickshire is almost 500 feet (152m) long and Grade II listed.

    A lack of money and competition from railways meant it was almost never built. 

    But canal experts say the cast iron structure has become a jewel in the West Midlands' crown - and i'll have a report on this wonder of the region on BBC One from 18:30 on Midlands Today.

  12. Ice Hockey: Blaze make Bombis signingpublished at 16:19 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    BBC Coventry & Warwickshire Sport

    Coventry Blaze have signed the German forward Björn Bombis, external.

    Björn BombisImage source, Getty Images

    The 33-year-old has played all of his professional career in the DEL in Germany and he'll play right-wing for the Blaze.

  13. Woman seriously hurt in M6 crashpublished at 15:54 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    An ambulance taking a patient to hospital came to the aid of a woman seriously injured in a crash on the M6 earlier.

    The crew stopped at the scene and helped the woman, who had been inside a car that went across the central reservation.

    She suffered many serious injuries, the ambulance service said, and was taken to hospital along with a man in the same car who hurt his shoulder and arm.

    The crash happened between junctions one and two, temporarily closing a stretch of the motorway both ways between Rugby and Coventry.

  14. Alas, poor theatre goerspublished at 15:35 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    A Royal Shakespeare Company performance of Hamlet had to be cancelled due to soaring temperatures.

    To be or not to be - that was the question bosses asked about the show when the cooling system was hit by a technical problem. The decision was then taken to cancel last night's performances of both Hamlet and The Alchemist, which was set for the Swan Theatre adjoining the Stratford-upon-Avon venue. 

    This evening's performances will go ahead.

    Shakespeare image created using fireImage source, RSC
    Image caption,

    Red hot Shakespeare?

    A spokesperson said: "We have been able to increase the cooling capacity and continue to work on improvements, but please note that the auditoria will be warmer than usual, as a result of the extraordinary external temperature."  

  15. Football: Coventry prepare for 'big final push' after Rugby winpublished at 15:22 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    Clive Eakin
    BBC Coventry & Warwickshire Sport

    Coventry City beat Rugby Town 2-1 in a pre-season friendly, external at Butlin Road last night which has been called a good exercise for a young side.

    Coventry City badge on side of stadiumImage source, Getty Images

    Kyle Spence and George Thomas scored the Sky Blues' goals after David Kolodynski gave Rugby the lead. 

    With manager Tony Mowbray on a scouting mission, first team coach Jamie Clapham was in charge of the Coventry side.

    Quote Message

    We can come in today, train as normal and then we've got Thursday, Friday, leading into a big final push really before the season starts and have an assessment of the squad."

    Jamie Clapham, Coventry City first team coach

  16. M6: lanes reopenpublished at 14:50 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    Good news for motorists...

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  17. Unemployment increases in West Midlandspublished at 14:35 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    Alice Bentley
    Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

    Unemployment across the West Midlands has gone up, external.

    Man wheeling dustcart past job centreImage source, Getty Images

    In the March-to-May period, 165,000 people were out of work in the region - an increase of 13,000 on the previous quarter. 

    In contrast, figures for the whole of the UK show a fall of 54,000 to 1.65 million.

  18. Watch: Weather for the rest of todaypublished at 14:30 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    Shefali Oza
    BBC Midlands Today

    The BBC Weather website also has the latest forecasts.

    Media caption,

    Will the hot weather continue? Shefali Oza can tell you

  19. Tom Allin inquest: He had 'several tough months' say parentspublished at 14:13 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    Elisabeth Mahy
    BBC News Online

    The parents of a former Warwickshire county cricketer - found to have taken his own life - told an inquest he had been through  "several tough months" leading up to his death.

    Tony and Beverley Allin said son Tom's personal problems began when his brother was seriously ill.  

    Tom Allin in actionImage source, Getty Images

    The court also heard that Tom had been in a road accident and had to be cut from his car, and while he was "recovering well physically" he had told a nurse his mood was "up and down".