Summary

  • Extra funding for hospitals confirmed

  • Replacement bridge opening date announced

  • Sanctuary for sheep with abnormalities

  • WW1 pilgrimage for grandson

  • Worcestershire in first innings collapse

  • Updates on Friday 21 April 2017

  1. Parents jailed after baby drowned in bathpublished at 18:01 British Summer Time 24 April 2017

    Kian Dale's parents often left their 13-month-old son unsupervised in his bath seat.

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  2. General election 2017: How do I register to vote?published at 18:01 British Summer Time 24 April 2017

    Don't get left outside on polling day. Here are details of what you need and where you need to go to register for the general election on 8 June:

    Media caption,

    The deadline to register is 22 May

  3. Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 24 April 2017

    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.

  4. On Midlands Today from 18:30: Trains to carry free entertainmentpublished at 17:59 British Summer Time 24 April 2017

    Peter Plisner
    BBC Midlands Today

    On Midlands Today this evening, we'll have more on the news that free entertainment and wi-fi services are coming to some London Midland train services. 

    Peter Plisner on London Midland

    The firm behind the new system says there's something for everyone, from films to Peppa Pig - plus onboard wi-fi.  

    I've been swapping my magazine for a phone and will have more from 18:30 on BBC One.

  5. General election 2017: How do I register to vote?published at 17:53 British Summer Time 24 April 2017

    Don't get left outside on polling day. Here are details of what you need and where you need to go to register for the general election on 8 June:

    Media caption,

    The deadline to register is 22 May

  6. Watch: The London Marathon finish linepublished at 17:50 British Summer Time 24 April 2017

    Stephanie Barnard
    BBC Local Live

    Do you know someone who ran the London Marathon yesterday or maybe you ran it yourself?

    You can watch a feed of the finish line, showing everyone who finished between 2hrs 30mins and 6hrs.

    Find out their time and you can catch the moment they crossed the line.

    From tears of joy, limping over the line, through to some rather tired faces - watch six hours (or skip forward) and see friends/family/loved ones cross the finish line via the BBC iPlayer.

  7. Council farm sell-off: 'Gut-wrenching - I never thought this day would come'published at 17:48 British Summer Time 24 April 2017

    Nicola Goodwin
    Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    A Herefordshire farmer who fears he's about to lose his livelihood says the stress of the pending council sell-off has been unbearable. 

    Four thousand acres of farmland owned by Herefordshire Council go on sale today, with the aim of raising more than £40m. 

    Steve Clayton, a tenant farmer in Rowlestone, in the south east of the county, says the past 18 months have been terrible. 

    Steve ClaytonImage source, Herefordshire tenant farmer
    Quote Message

    It's been an absolute nightmare. There's no certainty of anything. One minute you're up, the next minute you're down. It's very stressful, gut-wrenching really. I never thought this day would come, but now it's here it feels really horrible."

    Steve Clayton, Herefordshire tenant farmer

    The council has offered tenants financial help to get professional advice on buying their farms. But Mr Clayton, who said his farmland may be worth £1m, was among farmers who said they could not afford to do so.  

    The Conservative-run council has said it needs the money to fund the "growing bill" for caring for elderly and vulnerable people in the county. 

  8. Weather: A chance of snow overnightpublished at 17:30 British Summer Time 24 April 2017

    Charlie Slater
    BBC Weather presenter

    It seems a bit late in the year for snow, but with chilly temperatures forecast overnight, there's a chance we might see some in Staffordshire.

    The rest of us will have a cold night, with showers in places.

    Media caption,

    Charlie Slater has your forecast

  9. Teenage robbery suspect sought by policepublished at 17:18 British Summer Time 24 April 2017

    Two other teenagers have been sent to a young offenders institution after admitting the same charges.

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  10. Man wanted after failing to appear for trialpublished at 17:04 British Summer Time 24 April 2017

    An appeal to find an 18-year-old from Birmingham has been made by police, external after he failed to appear in court.

    Morgan Helsby was charged following a series of attempted robberies which started on a train from Birmingham to Redditch in March 2015.

    A man was threatened with a knife and another person punched in the face, British Transport Police (BTP) say.

    Morgan HelsbyImage source, British Transport Police

    BTP say he failed to appear for trial last month and is believed he could be in the Weston-Super-Mare area.   

  11. Parents' 'neglectful actions' led to 13-month-old's deathpublished at 17:03 British Summer Time 24 April 2017

    Claudia Berry
    Producer, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    The death of 13-month-old Kian Dale, external has been described by police as a "tragic case".

    His parents have both been jailed after being found guilty of manslaughter over his drowning in a bath.

    Det Insp Justin Taylor said their "neglectful actions" led to the boy's death.

    Worcester Crown Court
    Quote Message

    Kian should have had the opportunity to enjoy his bath time whilst under the care of his mother or father, however both Wayne Dale and Lisa Passey chose to leave him in a bath unsupervised upstairs for a significant period of time while they socialised downstairs."

    Justin Taylor, Det Insp West Mercia Police

  12. Pedestrian suffers multiple injuries in crashpublished at 16:43 British Summer Time 24 April 2017

    Alistair Binney
    Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    A man has been taken to hospital with multiple injuries after a collision with a car in Stourport, the ambulance service say.  

    The man believed to be in his 50s was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham after the collision at Burlish Crossing at 12:11 today. 

    Burlish Crossing in StourportImage source, Google

    He was treated at the the scene for a head injury, a suspected pelvic injury and minor injuries to his leg by crews from the West Midlands Ambulance Service and the Air Ambulance.   

  13. GP surgery 'must improve'published at 16:20 British Summer Time 24 April 2017

    Claudia Berry
    Producer, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    A Herefordshire GP surgery has been told it needs to improve after an inspection by the Care Quality Commission. , external

    The health regulator found Belmont Medical Centre was inadequately led and needed to improve in areas such as safety and the effectiveness of how the practice is run.

    Belmont Medical CentreImage source, Google

    The centre was given a "good" rating for caring.

  14. Parents smoked as baby drowned in bathpublished at 15:58 British Summer Time 24 April 2017

    Lisa Passey and Wayne Dale have been jailed for four years and four-and-a-half-years for manslaughter.

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  15. Slideshow: Blossoms and treespublished at 15:42 British Summer Time 24 April 2017

    Jerry Chester
    BBC News Online

    Even though the day is overcast BBC Weather Watchers have taken some fabulous pictures. Thanks to Mikesnapper, J@Severn Ridge, The Wolster, Johnqa and Morning Amble.

    Media caption,

    Blossom and trees

  16. Baby drowning sentence: Both parents jailedpublished at 15:25 British Summer Time 24 April 2017
    Breaking

    Ben Sidwell
    BBC Midlands Today

    The parents of a 13-month-old boy from Tenbury Wells, who drowned after being left unsupervised in a bath for 15 minutes, have both been sent to prison. 

    46-year-old Wayne Dale was given a four-and-a-half-year sentence and 28-year-old Lisa Passey, from Tenbury Wells, was jailed for four years. 

    Both were found guilty of manslaughter after Kian Dale died in September 2015. 

    Lisa Passey and Wayne DaleImage source, SWNS

    At their trial, the jury at Worcester Crown Court heard how Kian was left upstairs in a bath while his parents and a visiting friend were downstairs. 

    The court heard how Dale, of no fixed address, eventually made his way to the bathroom, and found Kian lying over the back of the bath seat with his head underwater. 

    A post-mortem examination found Kian had drowned and also had soap bubbles in his lungs

  17. VR enters world of drink-driving horrorpublished at 15:04 British Summer Time 24 April 2017

    Teenagers who tried out the police virtual reality experience were visibly shocked.

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  18. Cat shot by pellet gunpublished at 14:33 British Summer Time 24 April 2017

    Alistair Binney
    Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    A cat in Kidderminster has been injured by what's thought to be a pellet gun in an act of deliberate cruelty,, external police say. 

    It's thought the cat was shot in the Larches Road area on the evening of Thursday 20 April or the following morning. 

    West Mercia Police are urging pet owners in the area to be extra vigilant.