Investigation after fish killed by pollution in River Morda
Protests against plans to change school catchment area in North Telford
Shrewsbury Town sign Middlesbrough midfielder
Updates on Friday 20 January 2017
Nick Southall
Journalist, BBC Shropshire
AFC Telford United look likely to lose their goalkeeper James Montgomery before the end of the January transfer window, with a National League club expected to make a bid soon.
Image source, Mike SheridanBut the good news is that Elliott Hodge is having his loan at the Bucks Head extended to the end of the season.
A section of the River Morda, south of Oswestry is "completely devoid of life", a local fishery says.
Giles Cochrane, who manages the Weston Pools, said the fishery itself was unaffected, but pollution had killed not just fish in the river, but other wildlife as well.
Quote MessageIt's absolutely devastated the brook. There's no living organism whatever. The trout population has been wiped out - the fry, next year's fry, the food on which they live - the shrimp, the caddisfly."
Giles Cochrane, Weston Pools manager
Water firm United Utilities has confirmed an investigation is ongoing at a water treatment plant upstream on the River Morda.
It follows the overnight death of fish after the river became polluted.
In a statement, the company said: "There has been an issue at Oswestry water treatment works which we are currently investigating. We are working closely with the Environment Agency to resolve this."
Image source, Weston PoolsShrewsbury Town sign Middlesbrough midfielder Bryn Morris on a short-term deal for the rest of the season.
Read More
Tracey Higgins
BBC Local Live
A large fishery based alongside the River Morda, is unaffected by the pollution that's believed to have killed thousands fish, its manager says.
Giles Cochrane at Weston Pools told us the pollution had killed fish in the river itself, but its own stocks were safe.
Most of those are believed to have been washed downstream.
In a statement, the Environment Agency the pollution had been caused by "an acidic pollutant".
"We recommend people, livestock and pets do not go in the River Morda. Our investigative response is ongoing."
Ian Perry
BBC Radio Shropshire
This morning a small group of peace campaigners gathered on the Iron Bridge.
They wanted to make it clear they aren't anti-Trump, but they wanted to send this message on his inauguration day.
Campaigners have sent a message of peace from the Iron Bridge
Nick Southall
Journalist, BBC Shropshire
Shrewsbury Town have signed Middlesbrough midfielder Bryn Morris.
The 20-year-old has had loan spells and Walsall, York, Coventry and Burton.
Image source, Getty ImagesThousands of fish are believed to have died in a chemical leak in the River Morda, near Oswestry, local fisheries bosses say.
The Environment Agency is advising people to keep away from the river.
Officers are at the scene investigating.
Image source, Chris Bainger
Lucy Martin
BBC Weather
It's going to be clear and cold today and temperatures could drop below freezing overnight.
Latest weather for the West Midlands
Shropshire Beekeepers are worried about graffiti being sprayed around their new apiary
The site on Nobold Lane in Shrewsbury had been derelict for 10 years before the beekeepers took it over and during that time buildings were damaged and paint was sprayed over the brick work.
Image source, bbcThe beekeepers cleaned it up and installed fences, but vandals are still getting in and damaging the site.
Andy Giddings
BBC Shropshire
Our headlines this morning:
- Mother praises four-year-old for calling 999 after she collapsed
- London Midland staff vote on whether to take strike action
- Trump protest banner unveiled on Shropshire's Iron Bridge
A Telford woman says she was taken by surprise by the confidence of her four-year-old son, Jacob, who called the police when she collapsed at her home.
Gemma Onions told BBC Radio Shropshire she has been suffering from a mystery condition which causes her to pass out for the last two years. A fortnight ago her "legs felt like jelly" and she fell, hitting her head on her son's toy car.
Image source, Gemma OnionsGemma said the first thing she knew after falling was waking "on my kitchen and dining room floor and Jacob was pulling my hair".
She was surprised by his quick thinking, saying "I wouldn't say he's really confident" and that he doesn't use long sentences.
Quote MessageHe's just taken it all in his stride, he doesn't even know that anything is going on."
Gemma Onions
The row is over the "proposed imposition" of security contractors on trains.
Read MoreThe Environment Agency says it's dealing with "severe pollution" on the River Morda, south of Oswestry.
It is advising people, livestock and pets stay out of the water.
We'll bring you more details later.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Image source, Google
Andrew Hewkin
Newsreader, BBC Shropshire
Experts have been inspecting a 12th Century church in south Shropshire that's considered to be "at risk" by Historic England.
Myndtown Church is at the foot of the Long Mynd, beneath the glider-station, and was recently awarded more than £200k in heritage lottery grants.
John Burt, who's leading efforts to restore it, says it seems like a lot - but there's plenty to do.
Quote MessageIt's pretty extensive, there's lots of cracks to repair, bulges to take care of, completely re-roofing the porch. Repair work's been put in again in local oak and there's be a lot of re-rendering taking place inside and outside the church.
John Burt, Volunteer Project Manager
Tracey Higgins
BBC Local Live
A senior police officer says an increase in the number of recorded sexual offences against children in Telford, is down to more people reporting them.
Telford has fallen from top to third in a table of recorded sexual crimes against children, despite an increase in the number of offences.
Supt Tom Harding, the local policing commander for Telford and Wrekin, says this could be down in part to a greater willingness to report such crimes.
Quote MessageWe've seen an increase in people reporting recent events, within the last 28 days and events that took place longer ago than that. Both are increasing at the same level. If those two increase at the same time we're confident that that's victims coming forward, rather than more offences taking place."
Supt Tom Harding, Local policing commander for Telford and Wrekin
A woman pillion rider lost the lower part of her left leg after the machine she was riding was struck by a pensioner’s car, external, a court heard.
Image source, Shropshire StarTracey Higgins
BBC Local Live
Campaigners will be raising a banner on the Iron Bridge today, on President Donald Trump's inauguration day, promoting peace.
It's part of a global campaign to "Build Bridges, Not Walls".
The idea behind it they say is to speak up for peace, justice and tolerance between different groups.
Conductors on London Midland are voting on whether to take industrial action in a row over the company's decision to put external security contractors on trains "by imposition and without agreement", the RMT says.
Image source, Hyperen at English Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0The rail union said the ballot of 523 conductor members opened yesterday and concludes on 2 February.
In a statement the union said the company had "failed to respond to our questions, proposals and suggestions that would have averted the need for a potential breakdown in industrial relations".
