Summary

  • Updates from the past week

Live Reporting

  1. Travel: Gas leak in Worcestershire disrupts traffic

    BBC News Travel

    There are emergency traffic lights while repair work is carried out in Wythall.

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  3. First phase of 'smart motorway' opens

    The first phase of the new "smart motorway" section of the M5 in Worcestershire has opened today, Highways England says.

    The stretch between junctions 4a (Bromsgrove) and junction 5 (Droitwich Spa) is now open.

    Gantry's have been installed across the motorway to allow the speed limit and the lanes used to be varied at peak times.

    Smart motorwayPA

    Work will continue between junctions 5 (Droitwich Spa) and junctions 6 (Worcester) in preparation for the scheme’s completion in early June, the agency say.

  4. Missing man fundraising campaign ends

    Phil Maiden
    Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    A fundraising campaign started after a Kidderminster man went missing is being wound up. 

    Stephen Woolley's body was found last month after the 55-year-old went missing in December.

    His family have raised just over £1,700 for the Missing People charity.

    Stephen WoolleyCarol Woolley

    We thought today, being Steve's birthday, would be a fitting day to close everything down with dignity - so we're going to close the Facebook page and from midnight we'll close the Just giving page."

    Carol Woolley

  5. Jobless count reduced across the West Midlands, latest figures reveal

    The number of unemployed people across the West Midlands is down by 2,000, according to figures released today. 

    Between December and February 159,000 were out of work. 

    Nationally, the number of jobless fell by 45,000 to just over one-and-a-half million.

  7. Inspector gives positive assessment of police

    West Mercia Police has received a positive report in the latest assessment of forces across the country by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC). 

    In her report, HMIC inspector Wendy Williams praised the force's "high standard of investigation" and the way it has improved its response to reports of missing children.

    Police car

    Although the force has improved its efforts to disrupt organised crime, she said she would like to see further progress, for example identifying those at risk of being drawn into it.  

  8. New primary school for Worcester

    Tim Race
    Producer, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    Worcester is to get a new school for up to 420 pupils. 

    The North Worcester Primary Academy will be based in the Northwick area of the city. 

    Primary school

    The school is planned to open in September next year - the trust which will run the school is now looking at suitable sites.  

    It already runs seven first and primary schools in the city.

  9. Your pictures: Cultural wellingtons

    Nicola Goodwin
    Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    The team behind Hereford's bid to become UK City of Culture 2021 are asking people to take pictures of themselves, their pets or random items wearing wellington boots.

    The Welly For It campaign aims to put the culture into agriculture.

    Here are a few of the photos they've been sent.

    Wellington bootWelly For It
    Wellington bootWelly For It

  10. Illegal elvers worth more than caviar

    Tackling elver poaching as first major smuggling operation caught at airport.

    Read More

  11. Football: Good night for Alvechurch and Bromsgrove Sporting

    Trevor Owens
    Sports Editor, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    Alvechurch are through to the Midland Football League Cup Final after they won 2-1 in their semi-final second leg tie at Highgate United last night.

    Meanwhile, Bromsgrove Sporting now need only more win to secure the Midland League Division One Championship.

    Luke Edwards's 26th-minute goal was enough to earn Sporting a 1-0 win at Leicester Road.

  12. Slideshow: Bows and flows of Angel's hair

    BBC Weather Watchers

    That's how Joni Mitchell saw clouds - if you remember the song - here's how some of BBC Weather Watchers have seen today's interesting early morning skies.

    Thanks to Mags, Morning Amble, Happysnapper and Johnqa for this selection.

    Bows and flows of Angel's hair

  14. Football: Bulls run up a century of points and goals

    Trevor Owens
    Sports Editor, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    It is 100 points and 100 goals for Hereford this season as they last night won 2-1 in their Southern League Division One South and West game at Didcot Town.

    The Bulls were behind inside two minutes, but Jamie Molyneux equalised just before the interval and John Mills's penalty early in the second half secured the three points.

  15. Hereford has the second slowest traffic speed in the UK

    A study of vehicle speeds has found Hereford is the second slowest city in the UK, slower even than London. 

    Data published by Satrack shows the average speed in Hereford is 14.09mph, compared with 14.59mph in the capital. 

    Traffic jam

    The only city where traffic moves slower than in Hereford is Cambridge, where cars typically travel at only 13.73mph.

  16. Football: Promotion bid blow for Harriers

    Trevor Owens
    Sports Editor, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    Kidderminster Harriers missed out on the chance to close the gap on the Vanarama North leaders AFC Fylde last night when they were beaten 1-0 at Stalybridge Celtic.

    Danny Pilkington's second-half goal proved enough for Stalybridge who, despite being threatened with relegation, have now beaten the top two clubs in four days.

    The Harriers manager John Eustace felt they had paid the price for early missed opportunities.

  18. Wellies campaign backs City of Culture bid

    Nicola Goodwin
    Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    Wellington boots are being used as a secret weapon in Hereford's bid to become UK City of Culture in 2021.

    Hereford is currently the outsider in the race, with bookies giving the city odds of around 16-1, but the bid team are hoping their Welly For It campaign will prove that local people are artistic, creative and don't take themselves too seriously. 

    The campaign is urging people to get behind the bid for City of Culture by taking photos of themselves, their pets, farmyard animals, random items in wellies and posting them.

    Women wearing wellington bootsWelly For It campaign

    Abigail Appleton, principal of Hereford College of Arts and the vice-chairman of the bid team, says they want to celebrate the culture within the word agriculture.

    It's about celebrating the fact that this county is full of creativity, whether this is the amazing cooking and produce or drink making or so many of the crafts people around, in the performers and singers around."

    Another 10 cities are bidding to become UK City of Culture in 2021: Perth, Paisley, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Coventry, Warrington, Portsmouth, Wells, Swansea and the smallest city in Britain, St Davids.

  19. Elver fishing can make money 'if you're lucky'

    Watch: Elverman Andy Beddow says there is money to be made from elver fishing

    Elvers are a real delicacy, although not generally considered so in this country. 

    In Spain and elsewhere in Europe people enjoy them as tapas and tasty nibbles so each kilo the elvermen catch currently fetches £150.

    Andy Beddow, who catches elvers in the River Severn, said he heard somebody had recently caught 18kg "which is worth a couple of thousand quid".

  20. We'll force developers to pay for better roads, says Worcester's planning chief

    Worcester News

    The chairman of Worcester City Council's planning committee has defended plans for thousands of new homes - despite admitting he is "not relaxed" about it.