Heart West Midlands

The latest news and interviews from the Heart News team for the West Midlands from Stafford to Worcester and Telford to Rugby.

Flooding has closed Drayton Manor until at least Thursday after #StormDennisUK

The director of the Staffordshire theme park George Bryan tells #HeartNews how staff rescued animals in the zoo from flood water.

02-17
00:45

Thousands left stranded as Thomas Cook on brink of collapse

Thomas Cook is on the brink of collapse this morning - which could leave 150,000 British tourists stranded abroad.  The world's oldest travel agent has asked for a £200m government bailout. Anna and her boyfriend are due to be flying back to Birmingham Airport from Gran Canaria on Monday. 

09-21
00:53

BCU Professor calls for better protection for VR gamers

An academic at a university in Birmingham is calling for gamers to be better protected from being harassed online - particularly if they're using virtual reality. Dr Sarah Jones from BCU wants the government to step in and introduce guidelines to stop people being bullied or groomed.   

09-19
00:59

New study finds demand increasing on foodbanks in Birmingham after introduction of Universal Credit

A study has found the need for food banks increases in areas where Universal Credit has been in operation the longest. The Trussell Trust said demand is around 50% higher where the roll out of the benefit has been in place for at least 18 months. They say it's because families are forced to wait five weeks for their first payment. Les Allen's from the Sparkhill Foundation.

09-19
00:48

Ladywood MP to challenge banks over disappearing ATMs

It's claimed free cash machines are disappearing quicker in more deprived areas of the West Mids - than more affluent ones. A study by Which? saw nearly 1 in 10 shut or change to fee-paying services - with Ladywood in Birmingham the worst hit nationally.  The area saw 47 free ATM's go in a year and a half. Here's Ladywood MP Shabana Mahmood.

09-18
00:52

Birmingham curry house owner fears for European workers ahead of Brexit

Manjit Gil owns Rajdoot Tandoori in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. #Brexit #Curry #Europeanworkers #EU #Birmingham 

09-13
00:56

Birmingham Design Student Creates "Hair Chair" From Barbers' Off-Cuts

A university student from Birmingham's created a chair from barbers' off-cuts to get people thinking about what we throw away. The bucket seat's supported by leather straps and hangs from a metal frame.   Alice Evans has spoken to Heart.

06-29
00:51

West Midlands Police Are On The Buses Catching Out Drivers Using Their Mobiles

West Midlands Police are taking to the top deck of buses in Birmingham, in a bid to catch drivers using their mobile phones at the wheel, by looking down into the cars of unaware drivers. Operation Top Deck is the first operation of it's kind in the UK. PC Mark Hodson says 20 people were caught using their mobiles earlier that day...

09-18
00:59

Do Women's Prisons Work?

It's the £1.7billion question... Well, that was the cost of female offending in 2015 - 16.  With a high suicide rate and the majority of inmates serving short sentences under six months - is there evidence jail can do more harm than good? Reporter Emma Reid has been exploring the issue. #Prison #Womeninprison #Offenders #Crime #Justice #Prisoners #HeartNews

09-11
03:01

Coventry cave diver Rick Stanton speaks to reporters after returning from rescuing 12 boys in Thailand

Coventry cave diver Rick Stanton speaks to reporters at London Heathrow after returning from rescuing 12 boys in Thailand.

07-13
01:18

West Brom Fan Urges LGBT Community To Be Safe In Russia For World Cup

David Price from #ProudBaggies is heading out to Russia for the #WorldCup He told #HeartNews that although the Russian views towards gay rights are wrong, the #LGBT community needs to stay safe out there & avoid public displays of affection

06-06
01:11

Tom Jenkins from LGBT support group Nightlife Outreach in Birmingham has told Heart they want people to make sure they're staying safe during Pride.

Tom Jenkins from LGBT support group Nightlife Outreach in Birmingham has told Heart they want people to make sure they're staying safe during Pride. They help people with drugs, alcohol and mental health issues. Tom says they know people will be using substances during the festival, and it's unrealistic to think you can stop them by telling them not to. But they want to make sure people are being safe and understand the risks.

05-26
00:31

Oldbury filmaker Dan Alexander speaks to Heart ahead of 1 billion people watching his film at the Commonwealth Games

Dan Alexander has made a film to showcase Birmingham which will be seen by 1 billion people Commonwealth Games closing ceremony as they handover to #Birmingham2022

04-15
01:29

#Birmingham's Lady Sanity talks to Heart ahead of playing at Commonwealth Games closing ceremony

Lady Sanity will be representing Birmingham at the handover of the Commonwealth Games to the city for #Birmingham2022.

04-15
01:38

Mum - Whose Son Was Stabbed To Death In Birmingham - Tells Heart New Knife Crime Campaign Won't Have An Impact

The mum of a teen - stabbed to death in Birmingham - has said a new knife crime ad campaign won't have the right impact. Alison Cope's son Joshua Ribera was killed in 2013 after being attacked in Selly Oak. There have been at least 18 stabbings across the West Midlands since the turn of the year - with five being fatal. The Government's spending more than a million pounds on the ads which will appear on Facebook and Twitter.

03-23
00:52

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