Summary

  • Seagull turns orange after falling into vat of curry

  • Air show cancelled due to 'increased insurance costs'

  • Probation service to keep Herefordshire base

  • Teenager's liver operation to be shown on TV

  • Updates on Thursday 9 June 2016

  1. Traders say social distancing measures 'over the top'published at 18:15 British Summer Time 30 July 2020

    The organisation representing businesses in Hereford has described new social distancing restrictions as "over the top".

    Temporary barriers were introduced this week to widen footways, partial road closures and dedicated cycle lanes to allow people more space.

    Empty HerefordImage source, Google

    Mike Truelove, the Chief Executive of Hereford BID said "there are people around, but it certainly doesn't warrant cordoning off metres and metres of road."

  2. Free hospital parking to come to an endpublished at 17:16 British Summer Time 30 July 2020

    Free parking at hospitals in Herefordshire comes to an end on Saturday.

    It will affect the car parks at the County Hospital in Hereford as well as the community hospitals in Bromyard, Leominster and Ross-on-Wye.

    County Hospital car parkImage source, Google

    The free car parking was introduced at the start of coronavirus lockdown in March.

  3. Leisure centres prepare to reopenpublished at 15:56 British Summer Time 30 July 2020

    The leisure centres in Kidderminster and Bewdley are to reopen next month.

    The doors at Wyre Forest Leisure Centre open on 7 August then the facility in Bewdley will reopen on 24 August.

    Wyre Forest Leisure CentreImage source, Google

    Measures are being put in place to make sure they are Covid-safe, including increased cleaning and a reduction in the number of people allowed to take part in activities.

    Customers are being asked to pre-book sessions online.

  4. Free wi-fi could help city market traderspublished at 15:13 British Summer Time 30 July 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    Introducing free wi-fi to the centre of Worcester could help market traders, the city council has said.

    It is looking to appoint a contractor to provide the service and will contribute £10,000 to the set-up cost for the scheme, which will initially last five years.

    WorcesterImage source, Google

    The council believes the wi-fi will allow traders to make more use of card-readers and also hopes to gather data from people signing up for the service.

    On Monday, the council's economic development subcommittee agreed to move ahead with the plans.

  5. Your photos: Another sunny daypublished at 12:57 British Summer Time 30 July 2020

    BBC Weather Watchers

    It looks like it's going to be another sunny day and the BBC Weather Watchers have been sharing their photos with us.

    These ones were taken around Dawley, Rowington and Hereford.

    Dawley woodsImage source, Liam Ball
    RowingtonImage source, Fraser
    HerefordImage source, Step Counter
  6. No review into handling of farm outbreakpublished at 10:58 British Summer Time 30 July 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    Health officials in Herefordshire have ruled out a public review into the handling of the coronavirus outbreak at Rook Row Farm in Mathon.

    So far, more than 134 workers have tested positive with Covid-19 and the site's been in lockdown.

    Rook Row FarmImage source, Getty Images

    Herefordshire's Director of Public Health said there were now only 12 people there who had coronavirus and 96 staff were now well out of isolation and able to get back to work.

  7. Football club to play matches at Warriors stadiumpublished at 17:42 British Summer Time 29 July 2020

    Football will be played at Sixways next season following the takeover of local soccer side Worcester Raiders by the owners of the Worcester Warriors.

    The club is in West Midlands Regional League Premier Division, but hopes to eventually play in the Football League.

    SixwaysImage source, Getty Images

    The Raiders were only formed 19 years ago and had been set to groundshare with Worcester City at Claines Lane.

    Worcester Warriors said rugby fixtures would continue to take precedence, but that "“Our vision has always been to make Sixways a multi-sport centre."

    And the club said the arrival of the Raiders, now the artificial pitch has passed an FA inspection, would "significantly increase" the use of the stadium.

  8. Embankment could protect village from floodingpublished at 17:08 British Summer Time 29 July 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    Villagers in Severn Stoke have welcomed plans for an embankment to protect it from flooding.

    And the parish council said: "We cannot stress enough how welcome a flood defence would be and how much the future of the community depends upon it."

    Rose and Crown in Severn Stoke

    Severn Stoke parish councillors have raised some concerns though and have asked for changes to the design, height, slope and location of the proposed barrier.

    The village was badly hit by major flooding in 2007, 2012 and earlier this year.

  9. Another bid to turn country pub into homespublished at 16:22 British Summer Time 29 July 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    Another bid is being made to turn an old country pub into two homes, with another build beside them.

    In June last year Herefordshire Council rejected an application to convert the Cliffe Arms in Mathon, near Malvern, on the grounds it could still be a viable pub.

    Cliffe ArmsImage source, Google

    Back then, the council said Thomas Hayes hadn't provided enough evidence to demonstrate the pub could not be made a viable business and that it was important to the social well being and vitality of the village.

    The Herefordshire Campaign for Real Ale said it was "surprised" to see another application and that the owner should look to sell the building to someone willing to run it as a pub.

  10. Your photos: Mixed weather around the regionpublished at 15:28 British Summer Time 29 July 2020

    BBC Weather Watchers

    It;s been a mixed day weather-wise today, with some of you seeing blue skies and others thick black cloud.

    Here is a collection from BBC Weather Watchers based in Stowe, Severn Stoke and Studley,

    StoweImage source, Dodger
    Severn StokeImage source, J at Severn Ridge
    StudleyImage source, Balding Baggie
  11. Head-on crash investigated by policepublished at 12:10 British Summer Time 29 July 2020

    A head-on crash that closed part of the main road between Worcester and Kidderminster for several hours yesterday afternoon is being investigated.

    West Mercia Police said a Ford Focus reportedly swerved across the road into the path of a Mazda 2 near the Caunsall Road junction at around 13:45, causing "extensive damage" to both cars.

    Caunsall RoadImage source, Google

    Both drivers were taken to hospital for treatment, but neither are thought to have suffered live-threatening injuries.

  12. Husband and wife reunited after five monthspublished at 11:16 British Summer Time 29 July 2020

    Covid-19 travel restrictions kept Robert Smallman, 86, on the other side of the world.

    Read More
  13. Tributes paid to saxophonist after stab deathpublished at 17:39 British Summer Time 28 July 2020

    Two men have been charged with murdering 22-year-old Colton Bryan.

    Read More
  14. Your photos: The sunshine is backpublished at 13:33 British Summer Time 28 July 2020

    BBC Weather Watchers

    We're seeing some sunshine again and the BBC Weather Watchers have been sharing pictures of mostly blue skies.

    These ones were taken at Stoke Edith, Lower Gornall and Walsall

    Stoke EdithImage source, Sunshine seeker
    Lower GornallImage source, Caraman on tour
    WalsallImage source, Andreas
  15. Steam railway to get up and running againpublished at 11:01 British Summer Time 28 July 2020

    The Severn Valley Railway is due to reopen this weekend after four months of being shutdown.

    The railway has been losing around half a million pounds a month since its closure in March.

    Severn Valley RailwayImage source, John Bray

    Passengers will be asked to book ahead of time and to note that the company is running a reduced service to begin with.

    General manager Helen Smith said: "Once we get to September we hope to move back to more of a normal service, but this just gets us up and running again."

  16. More cases of coronavirus at food packing sitepublished at 10:04 British Summer Time 28 July 2020

    BBC Hereford and Worcester

    The number of people with coronavirus at an Evesham food packing site has risen to 23.

    All 340 workers at Evesham Vale Growers were tested after 14 members of staff were confirmed as having Covid-19 last week.

    Evesham Vale GrowersImage source, Google

    All the people with the virus are being advised to self-isolate.

  17. Your photos: Dodging showerspublished at 17:37 British Summer Time 27 July 2020

    BBC Weather Watchers

    Our local BBC Weather Watchers have been dodging the showers today and still snapping photos from where they live.

    These three are from users Di's walk in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, JazzyDee in Sheriff Hales, Shropshire and BoardWalk in Upton Warren, Worcestershire:

    Sutton ColdfieldImage source, Di's walk
    Sheriff HalesImage source, JazzyDee
    Upton WarrenImage source, BoardWalk
  18. Driver 'abandoned children in car' after crashpublished at 16:46 British Summer Time 27 July 2020

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    A man's been arrested after abandoning his car with his children still in it , externalfollowing a crash.

    Car after crashImage source, West Mercia Police

    Three cars were involved in the collision on Brickfields Road, Worcester, at about 01:30 today, the fire service said., external

    West Mercia Police said the driver made off, leaving his family behind, but was found nearby.

    He's been arrested on suspicion of several offences including failing to stop at the scene of a crash and child neglect offences., external