Summary

  • More time for runners to enter half marathon

  • Blue badge verification trial launches

  • West Midlands mayor's salary to be agreed

  • Wasps centre out for rest of Premiership season

  • Updates from Friday 3 March 2017

Live Reporting

Vanessa Pearce

  1. City bids for culture status: 'We want the whole world to be looking at Coventry'

    The team behind Coventry's 2021 City of Culture bid is urging people to take to social media to get the bid noticed. 

    Laura McMillan, manager of the City of Culture Trust, said: "We're asking as many people in the city as possible to get on social media using the hashtag  #ThisIsCoventry . 

    "We want the whole world to be looking at Coventry."

    Coventry's skyline

    So why should Coventry be picked?   

    Coventry is a city that has been overlooked for so long. There are amazing cultural organisations in the city. The people are wonderful and have amazing stories to tell. We've been re-inventing ourselves for centuries, moving people by bike, car and jet engine and we're now moving people by culture. The UK City of Culture is the real umbrella people can get behind and takes its place on the national stage

    Laura McMillan , Manager, Coventry's 2021 UK City of Culture Trust

  3. Get ready Sky Blues fans: Details about how you can get your tickets for Wembley

    Coventry are heading to Wembley on 2 April. 

    Are you going? The club has released details about how its supporters can get their tickets;

    • Monday, 6 March – 9am: JSB members and match package holders.
    • Wednesday 8 March – 9am: Fans who have attended a previous home game this season
    • Monday 13 March – 9am: General sale
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  4. Eleven bid for City of Culture title

    The smallest city in Britain, St Davids in Wales, is among those to register an interest.

    Read More

  5. What does UK City of Culture status mean?

    Stephanie Barnard
    BBC Local Live

    Wondering what all the fuss is about and why Coventry would want to become UK City of Culture?

    Here are some of the benefits: 

    • The 2021 winner will have to prove its bid is centred around heritage
    • The winning city will be given £3m by The Heritage Lottery Fund 
    • "UK City of Culture helps boost tourism and raises the profile of arts and culture"
    • "Make local people feel good about their city"

    A shortlist of contenders will be announced in July, before the final winner is declared in December.

    West Midlands neighbours Hereford and Stoke-on-Trent are among those to throw their hats in the ring as well.

    Arcitecture in Coventry city centre

    So far, it's fair to say you've been "whelmed" by the announcement this morning.

    Neil Jones wrote on Facebook:  It's the city of sporting dead.

    If you want to champion the area or just have a say on the city's bid, get in touch on Facebook  or email me.

  7. Snooker hall attack: Man continues to be questioned on suspicion of murder

    Alec Blackman
    BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

    A Coventry man continues to be questioned on suspicion of murder after a 68-year-old died following an attack at a snooker hall on Monday.

    Rileys Snooker Hall, Coventry

    The 37-year old, from Radford, was arrested after Patrick Redmond was fatally punched to the floor at Riley's Snooker Hall, in Hertford Place, on Monday night.  

  10. 'Tree-mendous escape' for police officers

    Stephanie Barnard
    BBC Local Live

    Police officers in Warwickshire had a near miss overnight after a tree landed on top of their car.

    Tree on top of a police car@wmasnickyrainey / West Midlands Ambulance Service

    The ambulance service received a call last night and took these photos on the A452 Banbury Road at Bishops Tachbrook, outside Leamington Spa.

    A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service tell me they were called to the scene after a car hit a tree - one woman was uninjured before another tree hit the police car later on.

    Tree on top of a police car@wmasnickyrainey / West Midlands Ambulance Service

    Area support officer Nicky Rainey tweeted : "Fortunately there were no injuries at this incident but it was a definite near miss for @SWarksCops when the tree came down on their vehicle." 

    Fellow paramedic support officer tweeted this witty response...

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  11. Police stop dozens of drivers using their phones at the wheel on the first day of double fines

    Louise Hancock
    Newsreader, BBC WM

    More than 50 motorists were stopped by the Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG) for using their hand-held mobiles at the wheel yesterday.

    Undated file photo of a man using his mobile phone while driving. New drivers face losing their licence the first time they are caught using a phone behind the wheel illegally. PA

    Penalties doubled from Wednesday in England, Wales and Scotland, with  offenders receiving a £200 fine and six penalty points  and new drivers could also lose their licence for a single offence. 

    The CMPG is made up of officers and staff from West Midlands, West Mercia and Staffordshire police forces.

  14. Sky Blues heading to Wembley to play Oxford

    It'll be Coventry City against Oxford in the Checkatrade Trophy final at Wembley next month. 

    Oxford beat Luton 3-2 in their semi final last night to set up a second trip in two seasons for the Kassam Stadium side.

    WembleyEmpics

    You don't play Wembley that often. To get the opportunity to play twice in two seasons and it's an opportunity to get some silverware. We want to try and do it this time around.

    Michael Appleton, Coventry City manager

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  15. City bids for culture status: 'All we need now is some culture!'

    Stephanie Barnard
    BBC Local Live

    Coventry wants to snatch the title of UK City of Culture in 2021.

    Coventry city centreNeil Catley

    This year Hull is celebrating its culture status after winning the bid in 2013 . 

    One of the people who chaired the panel who chose Hull said the city put "the most compelling case based on its theme as a city coming out of the shadows".

    The UK government chooses a new destination every four years, with the aim of helping tourism and the economy.

    Lady Anita O'Brien writes on the BBC C&W Facebook page:  Mmm...all we need now is some culture! 

    Have your say -  email ,  tweet  or  visit our Facebook page .

  16. New homes 'unaffordable' for nine out of 10 in West Midlands

    BBC News England

    About nine out of every 10 families in the West Midlands are unable to afford newly built homes in their local area , a report by housing charity Shelter says. 

    Its research shows rising house prices are hitting all parts of England, not just London and the South East. 

    Datagraphic

    In the West Midlands, 93% of privately renting working families could not afford to buy a newly built home, even if they used the government's Help to Buy scheme, the charity says.

    In the region, the average price of a new home was £206,950.

    House being builtPA

    The charity wants to see a new style of building, modelled on that of Victorian philanthropists, where short-term profits are replaced by "long-term community gains".

    Ministers agree the system is broken and want to make housing affordable.

  19. Coventry wants to become the UK City of Culture in 2021

    Stephanie Barnard
    BBC Local Live

    Coventry is among 11 towns and cities to put their name forward to become UK City of Culture in 2021.

    Perth, Paisley, Stoke, Sunderland and Hereford had already put themselves up for the accolade when they declared their interest last year.

    Coventry skylineThinkstock

    Five more are now added: Warrington, Portsmouth, Wells, Swansea and the smallest city in Britain, St David's.

    The chosen place  will succeed Hull , which is the City of Culture for 2017.

  20. Weather: Chance of showers this morning but clearing through the day

    Charlie Slater
    BBC Weather presenter

    Windy at first with some early morning sunshine likely in the south. 

    There will be a little rain perhaps in the north for a time, this will clear to allow plenty of sunshine across the region by the afternoon. 

    Latest weather forecast for the West Midlands

    Winds will ease through the day with highs of 8C (46F).