Summary

  • Updates on Thursday 16 June 2016

  • News, sport, travel and weather updates to resume at 08:00 on Friday

  1. Video: The latest West Midlands weather forecastpublished at 13:31 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    What weather's in store for us over the coming 24 hours? Better get those umbrellas out.

    Media caption,

    Sara Blizzard has your forecast

  2. 'Bad back' bodybuilder cheated benefitspublished at 13:15 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    A former Mr Universe contestant who said he had a bad back is jailed for falsely claiming disability benefits.

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  3. Water Park death: Pair arrested on suspicion on manslaughterpublished at 13:01 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    Amy Woodfield
    BBC Local Live

    It's been revealed the two people released on bail after a five-year-old boy died in a suspected drowning at a water park were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence. 

    Charlie Dunn, from Tamworth in Staffordshire, was pulled from the Blue Lagoon at Bosworth Water Park in Leicestershire on Saturday afternoon. 

    He died later in hospital and a man and woman were arrested.  

    Media caption,

    A couple describe how they saw a child pulled from the lagoon at Bosworth Water Park

    The park reopened on Sunday, with owner Nigel Riley describing the incident as "dreadful". 

    Witness Olivia Quinn (featured in video) said the scene at the water park was "horrific".  

  4. Team starts for boy with cerebral palsypublished at 12:24 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    A father has set up a team for his football-mad son who has cerebral palsy.

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  5. Bodybuilder jailed for benefit fraudpublished at 12:20 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    A Stoke-on-Trent bodybuilder and former Mr Universe contestant has been jailed for 12 months for falsely claiming disability benefits.

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  6. Travel: Crash shuts A500 in Nantwichpublished at 11:38 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    BBC Travel

    There's been a crash on the A500 in Nantwich, which is closed between the Sainsbury's roundabout and the A534 Crewe Road junction.

  7. Stoke biding time over Berahino & Allenpublished at 11:31 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    Stoke City are prepared to be patient in their attempts to sign Saido Berahino and Joe Allen, says manager Mark Hughes.

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  8. Bodybuilder jailed for benefit fraudpublished at 11:10 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    A Stoke-on-Trent bodybuilder and former Mr Universe contestant has been jailed for 12 months for falsely claiming disability benefits.

    Malcolm Sherratt, 64, of Arbourfield Drive, said he had a bad back but was secretly filmed by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) investigators working out in a Hanley gym.

    The DWP says for eight years he claimed more than £46,000 in benefits, telling authorities he needed help cooking, getting dressed, washing and going to the toilet and that he sometimes needed a wheelchair or sticks.

    But it says records showed he worked out twice a day and officials filmed him lifting weights.

    At Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, Sherratt was jailed for 12 months after admitting two counts of false representation and three counts of making a dishonest representation.

  9. Darts: World Matchplay - Michael van Gerwen retains title after beating Phil Taylorpublished at 10:31 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    Tom Rostance
    BBC Sport

    Stoke-on-Trent darts player Phil Taylor called Michael van Gerwen 'the greatest' as the Dutchman beat Taylor 18-10 to retain his World Matchplay title in Blackpool.

    Van Gerwen, 27, lost the first leg but dominated the rest of the match to beat 15-time champion Taylor and secure the £100,000 prize money.  

    Phil Taylor looking dejectedImage source, Getty Images

    "Darts has changed and this man [Van Gerwen] is the greatest as far as I'm concerned," Taylor told Sky Sports.

    Taylor, 55, has won 16 world titles and is widely considered the best ever.

  10. Water park death: Police seek video footagepublished at 09:55 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    BBC News England

    Two people arrested after a five-year-old boy died in a suspected drowning at a water park have been released on police bail.  

    The boy, named locally as Charlie Dunn, from Tamworth, was pulled from the Blue Lagoon at Bosworth Water Park in Leicestershire on Saturday afternoon.

    He died later in hospital and a man and woman were arrested.

    Bosworth Water Park Blue Lagoon

    Police said the pair had been bailed "pending further inquires", adding an investigation was "ongoing".  

    Officers are urging witnesses and anyone with video footage taken at the park to come forward.  

  11. Football match raises money for mill explosion communitypublished at 09:39 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    A football match has taken place in Macclesfield to raise money for charities that helped a community following the Bosley wood mill tragedy. Bosley United played a team of celebrities, including some Coronation Street stars, yesterday afternoon. Cheshire Police says it is continuing to investigate the explosion and fire a year on. Four people were killed, including Matthew Bailey's (featured in video) mother Dorothy Bailey.

  12. Man dies in crash after police pursuitpublished at 08:38 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    Jodie Looker
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    A man's died following a police pursuit in Staffordshire. 

    Staffordshire Police says it happened on the A53 last night when officers from West Mercia Police were pursuing a car - it collided with another vehicle on the A53 in Baldwin's Gate, external.  

    Picture of crash scene in Baldwin's GateImage source, West Midlands Ambulance Service

    The force says there were two other passengers in the car - one is in a critical condition and the other is described as "walking wounded".

    The driver of the second vehicle was also injured and is in a stable condition. 

    The Independent Police Complaints Commission has been informed and the road was closed for about eight hours while investigators were at the scene. 

  13. UKIP MEP calls for prison reformpublished at 08:27 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    Rob Mayor
    Black Country Political Reporter, BBC WM

    A UKIP leadership hopeful and West Midlands MEP is calling for hardline prison reform - and wants inmates to pay £40,000 a year for their stay.

    Bill Etheridge is calling for a string of changes, although he admitted to BBC WM his proposal would only work if convicts had assets.

    He has also admitted he has never been inside a jail.

    Jails "would probably work for people like him," he said, despite comments last week that prisons should be about "punishment rather than rehabilitation".    

    Bill Etheridge MEP
  14. Water park death manslaughter arrestspublished at 08:09 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    A man and woman arrested after a five-year-old boy died at a water park were held on suspicion of manslaughter, police say.

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  15. Pokemon Go players told not to enter A&Epublished at 12:56 British Summer Time 23 July 2016

    A hospital warns players of the game Pokemon Go not to enter the accident and emergency unit while they hunt for virtual monsters.

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  16. West Brom turn down £20m Berahino bidspublished at 22:09 British Summer Time 22 July 2016
    Breaking

    West Bromwich Albion turn down £20m bids for striker Saido Berahino from Crystal Palace and Stoke City.

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  17. Man admits murdering woman at housepublished at 20:59 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    A man admits stabbing a woman to death at a house in Staffordshire.

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  18. Routine stop uncovers £5m of cocainepublished at 20:07 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    A man is jailed after a routine stop by police on the M6 motorway uncovers 16kg of cocaine in a suitcase in his car.

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