Child on child sex offences double in West Mercia force area
Body found in the River Severn yet to be identified
Firm promises £2.5m investment after brook polluted
'Canary girls' tree tribute in Hereford
Updates on Friday 3 February 2017
Two men in Giles Cooper's family died from breast cancer - then he got the disease.
Read MoreA path is restored after 8,000 raffle tickets are bought by visitors to an 18th century property
Read MoreLive updates for Herefordshire and Worcestershire have finished for the day but we'll be back from 08:00 on Monday with more live news, sport, travel and weather.
A 26-year-old man from Worcester has been arrested on suspicion of burglary after a chainsaw fitted with a tracking device, external was stolen from a shed in Wichenford, Worcestershire, police say.
A trailer and a buggy were also stolen on the same incident.
West Mercia Police say they have "a significant number of tracker items", such as power tools, cars and bikes.
These look perfectly normal but, if they are stolen, police can locate them and potentially identify suspects.
The crime thriller Bones Never Lie, by the American author Kathy Reichs, is the most borrowed library book in the whole of Worcestershire.
The top 10 most popular books being borrowed from libraries like The Hive on Worcester (pictured), between July 2015 and June 2016, have been revealed today.
Top 10 books borrowed in Worcestershire:
1. Bones Never LiebyKathy Reichs
2. The Teashop on the Corner byMilly Johnson
3. Summer at Shell CottagebyLucy Diamond
4. War BabiesbyAnnie Murray
5. It Started With ParisbyCathy Kelly
6. The Children ActbyIan McEwan
7. Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower CafebyMilly Johnson
8. Gray MountainbyJohn Grisham
9. The Silent SisterbyDiane Chamberlain
10. The Little Beach Street Bakery byJenny Colgan
The school, in Minster Road, secured £3.5m from the Education Funding Agency to create the state-of-the-art learning facilities , external- which will be used by 240 sixth form students.
Here are some of the stories we are looking at:
- The number of sex offences carried out by children on other children doubles in three years
- Body found in River Severn identified as a missing man from Shropshire
- "Cowboy" builder jailed for four years after admitting fraud
We've been asked this via the BBC's Your Questions: What provision has been made for people wanting to cross the new road between Morrisons and [Hereford] station?
The new road is part of the wider project Hereford 2020 project, external, which involves city centre refurbishment, an urban village, revamped walking and cycling facilities and southern link road.
Herefordshire Council says the new road will have plenty of places where pedestrians or cyclists can cross safely.
Quote MessageThe City Link Road, which is due for completion at the end of 2017, will include crossing provision for pedestrians at all of the junctions along the new road - at Edgar Street, Widemarsh Street, Station Approach and Commercial Road."
Herefordshire Council statement
The number of reported child on child sexual offences doubled in 12 police force areas.
Read MoreA doubling in the number of recorded sex offences involving children on other children is a "cause for concern" say West Mercia Police, but also shows "young people and the wider communities are more confident about reporting to police".
Figures obtained by the children's charity Barnardo's show the number of such offences rose by 128% in three years.
Image source, BBC/Science Photo LibraryWest Mercia Police say the increase in the use of social media, both by victims and those carrying out sex crimes, has also contributed to the rise.
Quote MessageWe will work hard to prosecute those responsible whilst also taking into account the wishes of the victim. Any sexual offences reported to the police receive a high priority, especially those involving children."
Det Supt Alison Davies, West Mercia Police
Temperatures are expected to drop tonight after a wet afternoon and evening, so the gritter fleet will be busy from 22:00.
You can find out which roads have been gritted using the online maps produced by Herefordshire Council, external and Worcestershire County Council, external.
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
A builder has been jailed after pleading guilty to nine charges, including five of fraud, in a case brought by trading standards officers in Herefordshire.
Robert Christopher Hughes, 25, of Duffledown View, Wyre Piddle bypass, Pershore, was jailed for four years at Worcester Crown Court yesterday.
Herefordshire Trading Standards say Hughes, trading under a false address in Pershore as R Hughes Roofing, placed large advertisements in local publications offering fake 50% discounts for roofing work, whilst falsely claiming to have a "TrustMark accreditation".
They say he would falsely claim there were other serious problems which needed urgent attention and then charge up to four times the going rate for this unnecessary work.
BBC News Magazine
For seven years, part of Edward Evans's sternum was missing - the bone would normally have protected his lungs and heart.
A single blow to his chest could have killed him.
Now Mr Evans, from near Redditch, has become the first person in the UK to get a 3D-printed titanium replacement.
Edward Evans
The railway line between Great Malvern and Colwall is shut so "urgent repairs to the track" can be carried out, London Midland says.
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Up to 3,000 fish were killed when polluted water got into a nearby brook.
Read MoreWe've been asked this via the BBC's Your Questions: How is the new road between Morrisons and [Hereford] station supposed to help traffic and also what provision has been made for crossing it?
The new road is part of the Hereford 2020 project, external, which involves city centre refurbishment, an urban village, revamped walking and cycling facilities and southern link road.
Herefordshire Council says the new road is designed to "relieve some of the traffic from the centre of Hereford, particularly on Commercial Road and Blueschool Street".
It will also make it "easier and more enjoyable to walk around Hereford city", the council says.
Image source, Herefordshire CouncilYou can find more on the plans on the Herefordshire Council website, external, including photos of the work being carried out.
That's why the road is being built - more on how easy it will be for people to cross it later.
Image source, Herefordshire Council#getinspired
It's not only the men's Six Nations that kicks off this weekend. The women's equivalent gets under way, too, with Scotland hosting Ireland this evening,followed tomorrow by Wales v Italy and - arguably the pick of the ties - England v France at Twickenham.
The women's game is really taking off across the UK, so watch England full-back Danielle Waterman explain her love of rugby and the different versions you can play - and if you're inspired to pick up the oval ball yourself, check out our Get Inspired guide.
England Women v France Women kicks off at 19:35 GMT on Saturday, with live coverage on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, plus highlights of all three matches on BBC Two at 22:45 GMT.
A leading politician has made an apology in front of his own cabinet, external over Worcestershire's failing children's services, telling them: "I'm sorry".
The body found yesterday in the River Severn near Worcester is that of a missing man from Shropshire, external, police say.
West Mercia Police say David Smith was reported missing from Bridgnorth on Sunday, 27 November - his next of kin have been informed.
Image source, GoogleHis body found in the River Severn at Holt Heath near Worcester yesterday.
The emergency service began searching after a member of the public reported seeing a body going over the weir at Holt Fleet (pictured).
Police are not treating the death as suspicious.
Here are some of the stories we are looking at this afternoon:
- A body found in the River Severn near Worcester yesterday has been identified as that of a missing Shropshire man
- The number of recorded sex offences committed by children on children in the West Mercia area has doubled in three years
- Petition to bring a mystery man from the USA found wandering in Hereford back to the city gathers support
