Summary

  • News, sport, travel and weather updates to resume at 08:00 on Monday

  • Updates on Friday 12 August 2016

  1. Herefordshire win Knockout at Wormsleypublished at 18:13 British Summer Time 24 August 2016

    Minor Counties Knockout Trophy Final

    Herefordshire have won the Minor Counties Knockout Trophy for the second time in their history.

    They beat pre-match favourites Staffordshire by 56 runs at Wormsley, in Buckinghamshire.

    David Ball was the top scorer with 84 as Herefordshire posted a target of 258-9 from their 50 overs.

    But Staffs were always struggling in reply after losing captain Kadeer Ali in the first over.

    Despite Peter Wilshaw's 50, Staffs eventually fell short, being bowled out for 202, with five overs left unused.

  2. Staffordshire struggling at Wormsleypublished at 17:30 British Summer Time 24 August 2016

    Minor Counties Knockout Trophy Final

    Herefordshire are now looking in total control at Wormsley as they look to win the Minor Counties Knockout Trophy for the second time.

    Chasing 259 to win, Staffordshire have just lost their seventh wicket.

    They are now 148-7 in the 37th over, still needing 111 for victory, Matt Coxon having holed out off spinner Peter Burgoyne, while Dan Conway has taken three wickets. 

  3. Herefordshire getting on top at Wormsleypublished at 16:18 British Summer Time 24 August 2016

    Minor Counties Knockout Trophy final

    Herefordshire are starting to turn the score at Wormsley as they strike twice in the 16th over, removing both Alex Mellor, caught behind for 37, and Tim Maxfield for a duck.

    Chasing Herefordshire's total of 258-9, Staffs are now undoubtedly in trouble on 69-4, with Peter Wilshaw still there on 11.

  4. Nearly 300 attacks on paramedics in one yearpublished at 16:05 British Summer Time 24 August 2016

    Matthew Bone
    Reporter, BBC Midlands Today

    Body cameras could be issued to ambulance staff across the West Midlands because of a rise in the number of attacks on paramedics. 

    There were 298 attacks on ambulance staff last year - that's nearly a third more than in 2012.

    CCTV cameras are already being fitted to vehicles to offer them extra protection from patients who are angry, drunk or on drugs.

    Paramedic attacks in the West Midlands in the past year -298
  5. Pink ball cricket at Edgbastonpublished at 16:00 British Summer Time 24 August 2016

    Warwickshire's annual Second XI Championship home fixture with neighbours Worcestershire does not normally command much attention, except among the most passionate of Midlands cricket aficionados.  

    But this week's three-day meeting at Edgbaston is a bit different, as it is being played with a pink ball as a day/night game, instead of on the club pitch at Barnt Green, where it had originally been scheduled.

    The ECB are constantly looking at ways of increasing the popularity of domestic cricket. They first experimented with day/night cricket using pink balls in September 2011, in an end-of-season County Championship fixture between Kent and Glamorgan at Canterbury.

    Australia used pink balls last November in their day-night Test match against New Zealand in Adelaide, which attracted record-breaking attendances. 

    Today's third and final day's play got underway at 14:00 BST. Warwickshire currently stand on 142-3 in their second innings, having scored 304-9 declared in their first innings, to which Worcestershire replied with 300-7 dec.  

    Edgbaston under lights on Tuesday's first day of the Second XI game between Warwickshire and WorcestershireImage source, Tom Rawlings - Warwickshire CCC
    Image caption,

    Edgbaston under lights in the Second XI game between Warwickshire and Worcestershire

  6. Herefordshire set target at Wormsleypublished at 15:00 British Summer Time 24 August 2016

    Minor Counties Knockout Trophy final

    Herefordshire have set a target of 259 to win at Wormsley.

    They reached 258-9 from their 50-over allocation, in which Sam Kelsall took 3-29.

    David Ball was top scorer with 85, while Peter Burgoyne made 40.

    Staffordshire, led by former Worcestershire and Gloucestershire batsman Kadeer Ali, have just started in their reply. And Herefordshire have made an immediate breakthrough, Dan Conway removing Kadeer in the first over, caught behind.  

  7. 'Blood-stained' killer jailed for lifepublished at 14:01 British Summer Time 24 August 2016

    A man is jailed for life after admitting stabbing a woman to death at a house in Staffordshire.

    Read More
  8. Slow progress for Herefordshire at Wormsleypublished at 13:48 British Summer Time 24 August 2016

    Minor Counties Knockout Trophy final

    Away from the international and first-class scene for a moment to the beautiful ground of Wormsley.

    Herefordshire have not found runs easy to come by so far in today's Minor Counties Knockout Trophy final against Staffordshire.

    With 10 overs left in the 50-over contest, they have reached 190-6 against their fellow Midlanders.

  9. Keogh ton helps Northants take chargepublished at 18:17 British Summer Time 23 August 2016

    Rob Keogh's first century in 15 months helps Northamptonshire enjoy the better of the first day against Worcestershire.

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  10. BBC Midlands Today: Fatal grenade attack and paralympian seeking goldpublished at 17:23 British Summer Time 23 August 2016

    Nick Owen
    Presenter, BBC Midlands Today

    This evening on BBC Midlands Today we'll have more on a grenade attack in Sweden that killed a boy from the West Midlands. 

    Ian Marsden

    We'll also feature a West Midlands paralympian, Ian Marsden, who says Team GB's Olympic success has inspired him to go for gold in Rio.

    Join me for BBC Midlands Today at 18:30.

  11. On Midlands Today from 13:30: Grenade attack and paralympian seeking goldpublished at 13:00 British Summer Time 23 August 2016

    Nicola Beckford
    Reporter, BBC Midlands Today

    This lunchtime on BBC Midlands Today we'll have more on a grenade attack in Sweden that killed a boy from the West Midlands. 

    Ian Marsden

    You'll also hear from a local paralympian who says Team GB's success is inspiring his own quest for gold in Rio. 

    Those stories and more on BBC One from 13:30.

  12. County Championship as it happenedpublished at 10:40 British Summer Time 23 August 2016

    Relive live text coverage of the County Championship, with Alastair Cook bowled out for four against Leicestershire.

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  13. Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 22 August 2016

    We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 tomorrow, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening and into the morning.

  14. More than 800 people apply for 81 apprentice placespublished at 17:49 British Summer Time 22 August 2016

    BBC Midlands Today

    The water company Severn Trent says it is tripling its intake of apprentices this year, adding the largest number of new recruits the company has ever taken on.   

    Worker down hole

    More than 800 people applied for the scheme, external and 81 were recruited. 

    The apprentices will train in a variety of engineering and digital roles.

  15. Slavery reports rise fivefold, Salvation Army sayspublished at 12:23 British Summer Time 22 August 2016

    Just over 13% of "modern slavery” victims helped by the Salvation Army in 2015/16 were referred from the West Midlands, according to new data.

    The charity says it supported 1,805 people in England and Wales during the period – nearly a five-fold increase in the number since 2012.

    Anne Read, director of anti-trafficking and modern slavery at the Salvation Army, said the nature of the crime meant it was "always difficult to know the full extent of the problem" and the increase in referrals could be because there were more victims but also "improvements in training and awareness-raising".

    Slavery victim looking out window
  16. West Midlands clinical trials: Half-a-million people take part in 10 yearspublished at 11:20 British Summer Time 22 August 2016

    BBC Midlands Today

    More than half a million people in the West Midlands have taken part in clinical trials in the last decade - a greater number of participants than anywhere else in the country.

    A doctor speaking to a patient

    Drugs firms are choosing this area to carry out trials because of the diverse population and the number of hospitals and universities involved in medical research. 

    For patients, it gives access to new drugs and treatments not available on the NHS and more on this story on BBC Midlands Today at 18:30.

  17. Worcestershire v Northamptonshire - day fourpublished at 02:31 British Summer Time 22 August 2016

    Listen to live BBC Hereford and Worcester commentary as Worcestershire face Northamptonshire in the County Championship Division Two.

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  18. Football League proposals 'concerning'published at 14:46 British Summer Time 20 August 2016

    The National League is "very concerned" about the Football League's proposed shake-up, says chairman Brian Barwick.

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  19. Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 19 August 2016

    We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 on Monday, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening.

  20. On Midlands Today from 18:30: Ice baby survives and soggy start to V Festivalpublished at 17:33 British Summer Time 19 August 2016

    Mary Rhodes
    Presenter, BBC Midlands Today

    On Midlands Today this evening - we've got a great story of a baby girl whose heart stopped beating for eight minutes, who has made a full recovery after being "frozen" for three days.  

    Media caption,

    Baby girl whose heart stopped saved by 'fridge suit'

    We'll also be at what's proved to be a soggy start to V Festival in Staffordshire as thousands of people turned up in wet and windy conditions. 

    Both those stories and much more from 18:30 on BBC One.