Summary

  • Tollbar Island reopens after three years of roadworks

  • Updates from Friday 23 December 2016

Live Reporting

Jennifer Meierhans

  1. Giles leaves Lancashire to rejoin Bears

    Ashley Giles rejoins Warwickshire as sport director, with Lancashire agreeing to release him from his deal at Old Trafford.

    Read More

  2. Bristol Rovers 4-1 Coventry City

    Billy Bodin grabs a hat-trick as Bristol Rovers make it a miserable start for new Coventry boss Russell Slade.

    Read More

  3. Christmas kindness for those in need

    How people are spreading the Christmas spirit by helping those in need.

    Read More

  4. Kurdish pair guilty of trying to join IS

    Two Kurdish immigrants are found guilty of trying to join the Islamic State group in Iraq.

    Read More

  5. Coventry vow to ban pitch invaders

    Coventry say they will issue banning orders to anyone found to have taken part in a pitch invasion on 15 December.

    Read More

  6. Merry Christmas: Our coverage across the day

    The BBC Online team wishes you all a very Merry Christmas as we head into the Christmas weekend.

    We'll be back from 08:00 on 28 December with our usual mix of news, sport and weather from across Coventry and Warwickshire.

  7. Storm Barbara: Trains may be delayed

    Rail services may be delayed, warns Network Rail.

    Weather warnings have been issued across the country as Storm Barbara hits.

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  8. Firefighters cordon off scaffolding in high winds

    BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

    Storm Barbara has been making its presence felt today and firefighters in Coventry had to cordon off one building this afternoon.

    West Midlands Fire Service were outside Hillman House, on Smithford Way, to make sure the scene was safe.

    The fire service is warning people to watch out if they're out and about.

    Coventry scaffoldingWest Midlands Fire Service

  10. Midlands Today: Tollbar Island reopens after three years

    Kevin Reide
    Midlands Today

    There has been some good news in Coventry today with the reopening of the Tollbar Island. 

    There's been absolute gridlock there on occasions, whilst the junction has been completely redesigned. 

    See my report on Midlands Today. 

    Tollbar Island

  11. Weather: Is it going to be windy?

    Rebecca Wood
    BBC Weather

    A yellow weather warning for high winds is in place as millions of motorists head for their Christmas holidays.

    Check here for the latest weather where you are.

    Weather for the West Midlands.

  12. Joe Launchbury set to make 100th appearance for Wasps

    Wasps captain Joe Launchbury is set to make his 100th appearance for the club in their Christmas Eve match against Bath.

    Australian international Kurtley Beale, meanwhile, will make his Aviva Premiership debut, after a couple of appearances in the in the European Champions Cup. 

    Dai Young has named a strong starting line-up, with pelnty of talent on the bench.

    England international Elliot Daly will start in the centre, alongside Jimmy Gopperth, while Danny Cipriani will partner Joe Simpson at half back.

    Kyle Eastmond has also recovered from injury to make the bench.

    Joe LaunchburyGetty Images

  13. Heading home for Christmas?: Warnings about tailbacks and weather

    A combination of weather and maintenance on the roads and rail are expected to make the Christmas getaway more difficult later. 

    Millions of people will be heading off for the festive period but drivers are being warned about tailbacks and engineering works could make it tough on the trains.

    An amber weather warning has been issued because Storm Barbara is on its way.

    Met Office weather warning

  14. Scheme to help homeless in Rugby receives cash boost

    Rugby Advertiser

    A new project to tackle homelessness in Rugby and across Warwickshire has been awarded an £855,000 grant from the government. 

  15. Coventry City fan banned from games

    Alec Blackman
    BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

    A Coventry City fan is one of three men banned from going to football matches for three years.

    Ryan Teeling, 24, of Clovelly Road Furthermore, received a football banning order after trying to cause trouble with opposition supporters after the Millwall game last season.

    He was sentenced at Leamington Spa Crown Court on Wednesday.

    Ryan TeelingWest Midlands Police

  16. New boss takes charge of Coventry City

    Former Cardiff and Charlton manager Russell Slade will take charge of Coventry City for the first time on Boxing Day, with the team firmly in the relegation zone.

    The Sky Blues travel to Bristol Rovers, who sit in 12th place in League One, before a trip to promotion-chasing Peterborough United on New Year's Eve.

    Yesterday, the club said they would be looking to bolster their squad in the January transfer window.

    "The manager will highlight the players he wants and we’ll put all the funds together that we can to get as many of those targets as possible," Technical Director Mark Venus told the Coventry City website.

    Russell SladeGetty Images

  17. Do you have a storm named after you?

    Storm Barbara is here today, with Storm Conor due to arrive on Christmas Day.

    Check out the next names you'll be hearing in the news and weather forecast.

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  18. Taser trained officers to rise in Warwickshire

    Alec Blackman
    BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

    The number of police officers trained to carry Tasers in Warwickshire is to increase. 

    At the moment 62 officers are able to carry Tasers - the force's chief constable says that'll increase to 90 over the next few months.

    The force says the decision to deploy more Tasers is a response to the threats and risks posed to people in the county.

    Taser trained officersPA

  19. Homeless person in Coventry '17 times more likely to suffer attack'

    BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

    The homeless charity Crisis says someone sleeping rough on Coventry's streets is 17 times more likely to be attacked than anyone else in the city.

    The research comes out as they prepare to open their Christmas shelter on Sunday, one of four staying open on Christmas Day around the UK. 

    Alice Ashworth, from Crisis, said the police aren't always told that a homeless person's been beaten up.

    More than half the people we spoke to said that they didn't report it to the police, mainly because they didn't feel that it would be taken seriously, so it's absolutely vital that the police demonstrates its duty of care to homeless people.

    Alice Ashworth, Crisis