Updates on Thursday 12 May 2016
More news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 Friday
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online
Live updates for Herefordshire & Worcestershire have finished for the day but we'll be back from 08:00 Friday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather.
Bewdley businesses fear the town will be dealt a crushing blow , externalwhen roadworks start to allow vital repair work to St Anne’s Church.
Worcester Warriors' flying winger Bryce Heem has been named Player of the Season in his first season with the Sixways Club.
Image source, Worcester WarriorsThe big Kiwi has been a huge hit, scoring seven tries in 18 appearances since arriving from Super Rugby side Waikato Chiefs in November.
He polled 15% of the vote, narrowly beating South African scrum-half Francois Hougaard into second place.
Hereford MP Jesse Norman has welcomed an overhaul of the BBC which will include naming those paid more than £450,000 a year.
The Hereford and South Herefordshire Conservative MP said stars' salaries were a concern to the public.
Mr Norman, who chairs the Commons Media Committee, said he was "delighted" the government had taken the group's recommendations on board.
Nicola Goodwin
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester
Do you have a relative who fought on the Somme?
To mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme, BBC Hereford and Worcester are looking for stories about what your family experienced.
How did the battle affect the lives of the people of Herefordshire and Worcestershire?
If you’ve got a story, diary, letters or photographs then please get in touch with me by emailing nicola.goodwin@bbc.co.uk
Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today
Enjoy the sunshine this evening as tomorrow is looking cloudier and cooler with highs of just 14 degrees (57F).
Weather update
Elliott Webb
Breakfast presenter, BBC Hereford & Worcester
A Herefordshire SAS legend is being captured on canvas by his own personal art tutor.
Lofty Wiseman - who served 27 years with the Special Air Service and is a well known survival instructor - has been a pupil of Hereford artist Gerald Crane for many years.
Over the past eight months he's fast becoming one of his masterpieces - Gerald's latest work is not only a reflection and celebration of Lofty's life but is also to mark his golden wedding anniversary.
Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today
A great photo from Weather Watcher J at Severn Ridge, Severn Stoke, Worcestershire has made it into today's forecast.
There shouldn't be a cloud in the sky as we go into this evening with highs of 23C (73F) in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
Weather update
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online
Hereford MP Jesse Norman, who has been scrutinising the new plan for the BBC, says stars' pay is a public concern - as presenter Chris Evans says he is paid too much.
Mr Norman, chairman of the Commons Committee for Culture, Media and Sport, said: "We will see what they're saying today about stars' pay which has been an issue which has caused a lot of public concern - we have identified areas which need to change."
Chris Evans: 'I'm paid too much'
BBC Midlands Today
Doctors in the Midlands say they've proved breast cancer patients can be trained to hold their breath for more than five minutes.
Health professionals say it enables medics to administer radiotherapy treatment in a single daily dose.
Researchers found if patients kept still then doctors could target the cancer with a radiotherapy beam without harming nearby healthy tissue.
At the moment, most radiotherapy sessions are delivered while patients breath normally.
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online
Here are some of the top stories in Herefordshire & Worcestershire this afternoon:
- Hundreds attend funeral of a teenager who died after being pulled from a canal
- Hereford Invictus Games swimming medalist competes in basketball semi final
- Hereford cycling circuit plans to be unveiled at a meeting tonight
Alistair Binney
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester
Hundreds of people have attended the funeral of a Worcester teenager who died after being pulled from a canal.
The service for Sean Stevens, 17, took place at Pershore Abbey this afternoon before a private family funeral.
A teenager, who cannot be named, will go on trial for manslaughter in September.
Train operator, London Midland, introduces a new timetable from Saturday which includes services running through Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
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Worcester Warriors full-back Chris Pennell tells BBC Hereford and Worcester he is confident he can regain his spot in the England set-up after signing a new contract with the Premiership club.
The 29-year-old, who won his only cap to date on the 2014 tour of New Zealand, has agreed a new undisclosed-length deal at Sixways, where he has spent his entire career.
Pennell targeting England recall
"We've got to pull on their mental strings and remind them that it's that little bit easier if they buy into pre-season", says Luctonians' director of rugby Alex Davidson, as the dust settles on their final league match.
As the levels of competition in National Two North rise year-on-year, Davidson talks of the importance of ensuring all the players buy into their pre-season schedule.
Luctonians' director of rugby on 'pulling mental strings'
Plans for a traffic-free cycle track in Hereford will be unveiled at Hereford Town Hall at 19:00.
Hereford Racecourse could be the home for a purpose built circuit, external, which could be opened as early as next year.
Image source, Hereford Times
BBC Sport
A soldier from Hereford is back in action today just hours after winning two medals at the Invictus Games in Florida.
Adam Nixon, who had his leg amputated after he was injured in Iraq, won gold in the 50-metre breaststroke and silver in the 50-metre freestyle yesterday.
Image source, Invictus GamesHe's competing for the UK team in the wheelchair basketball semi final against Denmark at the championships in Orlando this afternoon.
BBC Travel
There's slow traffic on the A448 Comberton Road in Kidderminster, at the A449 Chester Road South junction.
And there's more congestion on the A451 Stourbridge Road in Kidderminster, at Rose Theatre mini roundabout, due to roadworks.
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online
Here are some of the top stories from the BBC Hereford & Worcester newsroom this afternoon:
- Canal death teenager Sean Stevens "lived life to the full", external
- Hereford Invictus Games athlete aims to continue winning streak
- Plans for a closed circuit cycling track unveiled in Hereford., external
Chris Lyons took this beautiful landscape from Lea, south Herefordshire.
Got a lovely picture you want to share? Email, tweet us @bbchw, external or message via Facebook, external.
Image source, Chris Lyons
