Summary

  • Worcester nPower office escapes job cuts

  • M5 overnight closures begin

  • 100 year old WW2 dive bomber pilot dies

  • Updates on Tuesday 8 March 2016

  1. Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2016

    Live updates for Herefordshire and Worcestershire have finished for the day but we'll be back from 08:00 on Wednesday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather.

  2. Your pictures: Cyclists on the icy Malvernspublished at 17:50 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2016

    Jerry Chester
    BBC News Online

    These photos were taken on top of the Malvern Hills by Lucy Bond - it looks cold.

    I'd love to feature you photos - you can emailtweet us on @bbchw, external or add #HWLL to your photo, or you can message via Facebook, external.

    Cyclists on the Malvern HillsImage source, Lucy Bond
    Malvern HillsImage source, Lucy Bond
  3. Travel: Heavy rain warningpublished at 17:40 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2016

    The downpours could lead to flash flooding - check with BBC Travel.

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  4. Latest: Worcester office dodges Npower job cuts; temporary venue needed for funerals; M5 'smart motorway' lane closures beginpublished at 17:30 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2016

    BBC Hereford and Worcester

    Here are some of the main stories we are looking at in Herefordshire and Worcestershire:

    - More posts at Npower's Worcester office despite the company cutting 2,400 jobs across the UK

    - Temporary venue for funeral services needed while work carried out on Redditch crematorium

    - Overnight lane closures begin on the M5 for "smart motorway" project

  5. Four flood alerts as heavy rain expectedpublished at 17:22 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2016

    The Environment Agency has issued four flood alerts in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

    - River Frome in Herefordshire

    - River Stour and its tributaries

    - River Isbourne, Badsey Brook, Honeybourne Brook, Bretforton Brook, Littleton Brook and their tributaries.

    - River Salwarpe, Elmbridge and Hadley Brooks and their tributaries

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  6. Nominate sporting stars and unsung heroespublished at 17:10 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2016

    These are the sixth annual awards, external, and the ceremony at Malvern College on 14 July will be hosted by BBC Hereford & Worcester's Andrew Easton

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  7. Weather video: Cloudy with the chance of heavy rain laterpublished at 16:59 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2016

    Charlie Slater
    BBC Weather presenter

    A cloudy start to this evening with perhaps a few spots of rain or drizzle. Then a band of rain, possibly heavy at times with hill snow, will spread eastwards overnight. Lows of 5C (41F).

  8. 'Britain's finest dive bomber pilot' dies aged 100published at 16:29 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2016

    Nicola Goodwin
    Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    Two weeks after BBC Hereford & Worcester celebrated the 100th birthday of  the man labeled "Britain's finest dive bomber pilot" by air war historians, we've learnt of his death. 

    Arthur Gill, from Little Dewchurch in Herefordshire, passed away last week, having celebrated his centenary in style with a trip in a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. 

    Arthur GillImage source, The Gill family

    During his career with the RAF he survived 17 crash and forced landings, and he also flew more than 140 different types of planes, including a Concorde.  

  9. Your pictures: Trees in Bartestreepublished at 16:14 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2016

    Jerry Chester
    BBC News Online

    This great picture comes from one of the BBC's Weather Watchers - Typhoon Taffy from Bartestree in Herefordshire.

    I'd love to feature your photos on this page - you can emailtweet us on @bbchw, external or message via Facebook, external.

    Tree against cloudsImage source, Typhoon Taffy
  10. Wheelchair basketball team crowned championspublished at 15:58 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2016

    A team from the University of Worcester was has won the first British Universities Wheelchair Basketball Championships.

    University Arena, Worcester

    Sixteen teams took place in the championships, which took place at the university over the weekend.

    The University Arena is the official home of British Wheelchair Basketball.

  11. Witnesses sought after canal assaultpublished at 15:30 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2016

    Two witnesses who may have seen an assault which ended up with a man falling into a canal in Worcester are being sought by police.

    Padmore Street, WorcesterImage source, Google

    Officers want to talk to a man and a woman who flagged down the police following the assault, at about 9:40 am on Saturday, 20 February.

    A 57-year-old man was assaulted by the canal at the rear of Padmore Street, police say.

  12. New Homes Bonus: Where the money has been spentpublished at 15:16 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2016

    James Pearson
    Journalist, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    Here's where some of the £25m local councils have received from the government's New Homes Bonus has been spent.

    - Wychavon District Council: £1m on town centres in Pershore, Evesham and Droitwich; £500,000 on a new business park; £150,000 on a University of Worcester scholarship scheme

    - Worcester City Council: Improving the Commandery museum and Gheluvelt Park

    - Bromsgrove District Council: Has set up a community grants scheme over the last year,– which allows communities to bid for a 25% of all the money the council gets from the New Homes Bonus.

  13. Latest: Worcester escapes most of Npower job cuts; retiring police boss backs merger; overnight closures on M5published at 15:01 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2016

    BBC Hereford and Worcester

    Here are some of the main stories we are looking at in Herefordshire and Worcestershire:

    -Npower to expand in Worcester despite making thousands of jobs cuts across the UK

    - Retiring chief constable backs merger with neighbouring force

    - Overnight lane closures on the M5 begin today

  14. Latest: Worcester benefits despite Npower job cuts; funeral service venue wanted; masked men attack a carpublished at 14:25 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2016

    Gavin Kermack
    Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    Here are some of the main stories we are looking at in Herefordshire and Worcestershire:

    - Npower plans expansion of its Worcester base, despite cutting 2,400 jobs across the UK

    - Redditch looks for a place to hold funeral services while work is carried out at the crematorium

    - Reports of two masked men attacking a vehicle with a metal bar in Ross-on-Wye are investigated by police

  15. Travel: No gritting needed in Herefordshire tonightpublished at 14:09 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2016

    Herefordshire Council has an online map, external showing which routes have been gritted.

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    GrittersImage source, Getty Images
  16. Weather video: Cold for the time of year with showerspublished at 13:53 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2016

    Charlie Slater
    BBC Weather presenter

    Cloud will increase through the day, with spells of rain throughout the afternoon. Feeling cold for the time of year. Highs of 7C (45F)

    Media caption,

    Latest weather for the West Midlands

  17. nPower jobs: How Worcester will be affectedpublished at 13:27 Greenwich Mean Time 8 March 2016

    James Pearson
    Journalist, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    I've been at nPower’s Worcester office, fining out how their job cuts announced today will affect its 600 staff there.

    nPower in Worcester

    While the company says new posts are being created here, some workers are likely to lose their jobs.

    We've been told that 20 posts will go from its Worcester base. However, because Npower's also closing its Staffordshire site, 70 new posts will come here as well.

    The net effect therefore is there will be 50 more jobs in Worcester long term. On the face of it that's good news, but there's still much uncertainty for staff already here. 

    A two-year consultation is now underway, the company says.