Summary

  • Mental health patients 'feel abandoned'

  • New university set to buy council sites

  • 'World Cup' number plate sells for more than £4,000

  • Updates from Friday 22 July 2016

Live Reporting

  1. Latest: Jobs axed at historic Hereford firm; taxi drivers 'refusing to take disabled people'

    Claudia Berry
    Newsreader, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    Here are some of the top stories on BBC Hereford & Worcester this morning:

    - 16 jobs to go at one of Hereford's most historic firms, Painter Brothers  

    - People with disabilities in the Wyre Forest join calls for better public transport after a wheelchair user claims taxi drivers often refuse to take him

    - More than 1,000 boys started school in Herefordshire and Worcestershire last year without basic language skills

  2. Disabled taxi passengers 'discriminated against'

    Taxi passengers with disabilities are being called on to report drivers who refuse to carry them.

    Jordan Powell, a 24-year-old wheelchair user, is highly critical of the treatment he's faced on public transport in the city and estimated only 50% of taxis in Worcester with disabled access had agreed to carry him.

    Taxi signThinkstock

    Leslie Borthwick, from the Worcester Taxi Drivers Association, says drivers who discriminate are damaging the reputation of the industry. 

    She urged passengers to take vehicles' plate numbers and taxi drivers' badge numbers and report them to the council. 

  4. A day to get the suncream on

    Very high UV levels across the Midlands today. Pollen levels remain high too across the region. 

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  5. Travel: Lane closed on M5

    BBC Travel

    One lane is closed on the M5 northbound between J4A for the M42 and J4 for the A38 (Lydiate Ash). 

    It's due to a broken-down vehicle.

  6. Latest: Disabled passengers urged to report problem taxi drivers; gender gap for reception pupils

    Claudia Berry
    Producer, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    Here are some of the stories we're looking at this this morning:

    - Taxi drivers in Worcester urge disabled passengers to report drivers who refuse to carry them

    - More than 1,000 boys started school in Herefordshire and Worcestershire last year without basic language or communication skills, research shows

  7. Travel: Delays on M42, M5 and A491

    BBC Travel

    No major problems so far on the roads around the counties.

    But there's stop-start traffic on the M42 between M5 J4A and J3 A435 (Redditch). 

    There are also queues on the M5 northbound between J5 for Droitwich and J4 for Lydiate Ash. 

    There is also slow traffic on the A491 Stourbnridge Road between A456 Kidderminster Road (Hagley) and B4188 Hartle Lane (Belbroughton) in the roadworks area.

  8. Watch: Latest weather for the West Midlands

    Charlie Slater
    BBC Weather presenter

    Some early morning mist and cloud possible but this will clear leaving a hot and sunny day with plenty of sunshine and blue sky. 

    Highs of 28C (82F).

    The latest forecast

  9. Good morning - welcome to our live updates for the day

    Welcome to Herefordshire and Worcestershire Live on Monday morning. 

    We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather as it happens. 

    If you'd like to get in touch you can email, tweet us on @bbchw or message via Facebook.