Investigation call after hospital corridor deaths
MP to raise hospital funding with health secretary
Save the Alex campaign group disbands
Man exposes himself to 11-year-old girl
Details emerge of a panto staged by munitions workers 100 years ago
Updates on Friday 6 January 2017
Trevor Owens
Sports Editor, BBC Hereford & Worcester
Hereford racecourse officials will carry out a precautionary inspection of the track this morning before determining if today's meeting can go ahead as planned.
While they are hopeful there should be no major issues, the track's executive director Rebecca Davies feels the inspection is a "sensible move".
Image source, Empics
BBC News England
A former friend of a woman who hit the headlines when she claimed a possible £33m winning lottery ticket had been ruined in the wash has been convicted of disclosing sexual images of her.
Julie Howard sold intimate pictures of Susanne Hinte (pictured) to a national newspaper, Worcester Magistrates' Court was told.
Howard, who's 38 and from Worcester, received a suspended six-week jail term.
Here are some of the main stories we are looking at in Herefordshire and Worcestershire:
- BBC Hereford & Worcester's campaign to get munitions workers honoured gains support from MPs
- Woman who sold sexual pictures of "lotto gran" gets suspended sentence
- Plans to demolish Worcester's Sansome Walk swimming pool and leisure centre will be scrutinised by city councillors tonight
Sara Blizzard
BBC Weather
A chilly start with fairly cloudy skies during the morning and the odd spot of rain. Highs of 8C (46F).
You can read a full forecast on the the BBC Weather page.
Weather for the West Midlands.
Jerry Chester
BBC News Online
Welcome to the Local Live service for Herefordshire and Worcestershire on Wednesday morning.
I'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, external or message via Facebook, external.
A former friend of a woman who failed in a bid to claim a huge lottery prize is found guilty of disclosing sexual images of her.
Read MoreSara Blizzard
BBC Weather
It's going to be a cloudy end to the day and we're forecast some freezing weather over the next few days.
Sara Blizzard with the afternoon weather forecast for the West Midlands.
A Droitwich pensioner has had his wallet, containing a picture of his wife, stolen by a man standing behind him at a shop check-out, external, police say.
The 78-year-old was at the tills of Wilkinson's in the town on New Years Eve when he dropped his wallet on the floor.
CCTV shows another man then picked it up and hid it in his coat before paying for his own goods and leaving, police say.
Image source, West Mercia PoliceThe suspect is described as between 35 and 45 years old with dark, thinning hair and a dark beard. He was wearing a large dark jacket with a fur lined hood and blue jeans.
Anyone who recognises the suspect can call the police on 101, quoting incident 197 of 31st December 2016 or phone Crimestoppers, external anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Protests took place at train stations in Worcester and Kidderminster today over rising rail fares.
Action for Rail say more than 100 stations across the country saw action taken over a 2.3% increase in rail fares. Ministers insist a major modernisation project needs funding.
Lee Baron from the West Midlands branch of the TUC says passengers simply can't afford another increase.
Quote MessagePeople are going to have to take the decision whether they can afford to travel to work and we think that's fundamentally wrong and we're calling on the Government to work with the operators to push down the price."
Lee Baron, TUC West Midlands spokesman
Here are some of the main stories we are looking at this evening:
- Worcester's MP Robin Walker denies eight-hour waits in the A and E department at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital this morning are a result of under-funding
- There's been a big response on social media to a campaign to win official recognition for thousands of munitions workers during both world wars
- A golden retriever called Orlando has joined the staff of Bishop Perowne College in Worcester to help support vulnerable pupils
A campaign to win official recognition for munitions workers who risked their lives during the two world wars has already received messages of support on social media.
The campaign by BBC Hereford and Worcester was inspired Nancy Billings, 93, from Hereford - one of the many 'canary girls', so-called because their skin and hair turned yellow due to the dangerous substances they were handling.
You can see more posts on the BBC Midlands Today Facebook page, external and also on the BBC Hereford and Worcester page. , external
Professional darts player Jim Williams, external from Shobden says he won't take Tony O'Shea lightly as he begins his 2017 BDO World Darts Championship campaign at Lakeside this Saturday.
Worcester's MP Robin Walker has denied the latest problems in the A and E department at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital are a sign of under-funding.
The average wait to see a doctor this morning was eight hours.
The trust claim it's because the busy Christmas and New Year period is still causing high demand.
Quote MessageThe money going into the hospital has been going up every year. I think the challenge is that demand is rising even faster from more people living with long term conditions and an ageing population and so we do need to look at expanding the facility."
Robin Walker, MP for Worcester
Messages of support have been posted on social media in response to a campaign to win official recognition for the munitions workers who risked their health and their lives during both world wars.
The campaign by BBC Hereford and Worcester was inspired by Nancy Billings, 93, from Hereford, who survived a bomb which dropped on the Rotherwas munitions factory in the city in 1942.
Quote MessagePlease sort this recognition out asap thank you to the ladies that did such a dangerous job to help our country for the generations that came after."
Juliet, Herefordshire facebooker
Quote MessageMy Mother-in-law Margaret Jones (nee Howard) worked there. Sadly passed away in October, but we heard many stories about her work there."
Di Jones, facebooker
Follow live BBC local radio commentary from Saturday's action in the National League and National League North.
Read MoreA new scheme has been launched in Worcestershire to try to help unemployed young people into work.
The Seek and Reach project is being run by Young Solutions, external in Droitwich and will work with people aged between 16 and 24.
The manager of the project Phil Street says there are lots of reasons why they might be struggling to find work.
Image source, Getty ImagesQuote MessageThere will be people who haven't been out of the house for a couple of years due to anxiety or lack of confidence. In some cases these young people may be homeless and find it difficult to establish themselves with jobs or with training."
West Midlands Ambulance Service experienced its busiest day ever on New Year's Day this year.
The Trust received 4,629 calls, including 431 in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, compared to 362 in the two counties on New Year's Day last year.
The Trust says the majority of calls over the Christmas and New Year period were for people unwell with conditions such as breathing difficulties, chest pains and falls.
Quote MessageOnce again, planning has paid off and we have met this challenge and continued to provide a very high standard of service to patients. This would not have been possible without the hard work, dedication and passion of my staff and I am extremely grateful for their continued efforts.”
Anthony Marsh, trust chief executive
Here are some of the main stories we are looking at today:
- The wait to see a doctor at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital has been eight hours this morning
- It's emerged the car of a 24-year-old man who died in Dodford near Bromsgrove had left the road and collided with a bridge in a stream
- BBC Hereford & Worcester has begun a campaign to try to get recognition for the canary girls who worked in Britain's munitions factories during the two world wars
An appeal has been launched after a cruel pet owner dumped two rats in an open cage in a rural lane, external, just days before Christmas – which led to one being killed by a car.
A West Midlands research team believes it might have found a "smart" solution for diabetics.
Read More
