Summary

  • Updates on Wednesday 22 June 2016

  1. Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 BST 22 June 2016

    Live updates have finished for the day but we'll be back from 08:00 on Thursday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather.

  2. Weather forecast for the West Midlandspublished at 17:59 BST 22 June 2016

    BBC Weather

    A dry and fairly cloudy night tonight, Rebecca Wood as the latest forecast.

  3. Coming up on TV: Referendum campaign draw to a close and vigils for Jo Coxpublished at 17:55 BST 22 June 2016

    Mary Rhodes
    Presenter, BBC Midlands Today

    After four months of campaigning, the battle buses are heading back home - and our political editor Patrick Burns has had a chance to put his feet up after his EU referendum road trip. 

    We will look at his whistle-stop tour. 

    And vigils are taking place in memory of MP Jo Cox on what would have been her 42nd birthday.

    Join us for more on these stories and more on BBC Midlands Today on BBC One at 18:30.

  4. Police apologise for sending 'dummy explosives' to tourist attractionpublished at 17:51 BST 22 June 2016

    Mark Elliott
    Reporter, BBC Shropshire

    Bedfordshire Police has admitted accidentally sending what they describe as "dummy explosives" to the British Ironworks Centre in Oswestry.

    The attraction was sealed off after suspected explosives were discovered at the bottom of a pile of knives - a controlled explosion was carried out.

    Bedfordshire Police is one of many forces across the country to send confiscated knives to the British Ironworks Centre, which is using them to construct a sculpture in memory of stab victims.

    bomb disposal unit at Brtish IronworksImage source, British Ironworks Centre
    Quote Message

    We believe that these were dummy explosives that had been used in training exercises, and had accidentally been picked up from a property store along with knives collected following a recent knife surrender. We have written to the company and apologised for any distress caused."

    Bedfordshire Police

  5. EU Referendum: How to vote on polling daypublished at 17:47 BST 22 June 2016

    BBC Politics

    Tomorrow, voters go to the polls to decide whether the UK will remain in the European Union. 

    Polls are open 07:00 to 22:00 and you'll be asked to answer the following question: "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union."

    Counting by local authorities begins after 22:00 and the official declaration will be made at Manchester Town Hall when all the votes are in.

    Find out how to vote, what you'll need and what you can and can't do with your ballot paper.

    Ballot paper
  6. EU referendum voters top four million in West Midlandspublished at 17:39 BST 22 June 2016

    Kathryn Stanczyszyn
    Political Reporter, BBC WM

    The number of voters registered in the West Midlands for the EU referendum stands at 4,116,119. 

    This is a rise of 153,842, or 3.9% since December.

    Polls are set to open in less than 24 hours and both the Leave and Remain camps are using the dying hours of the campaign to get their messages across.

    If you missed the BBC's Great Debate last night, find out how the two sides got on in front of a live audience of 6,000 at Wembley Arena.

  7. 'Nato kept the peace' not the EU - James Carverpublished at 17:30 BST 22 June 2016

    Joanne Gallacher
    Political reporter, BBC Shropshire

    The final stages of Shropshire campaigning ahead of tomorrow's EU referendum are drawing to a close.

    West Midlands UKIP MEP James Carver disagrees with the idea that the EU has maintained the peace in Europe since World War Two, saying that's largely thanks to Nato, rather than the EU.

    MEP James Carver
  8. EU is a 'remarkable achievement' according to Vote Remain campaignerspublished at 17:15 BST 22 June 2016

    Joanne Gallacher
    Political reporter, BBC Shropshire

    Shropshire's politicians are doing last minute campaigning ahead of tomorrow's EU referendum. Callers to Jim Hawkins's show on BBC Shropshire this morning have been asking how they'll be affected. 

    One wanted to know why the UK fought two world wars to hand power over to Brussels?

    Vote Remain campaigner Peter Bradley says the EU helps to keep the peace.

    Quote Message

    Not the EU alone but nevertheless a remarkable achievement of the EU, that it brought together countries that had been in conflict and at war with each other and we have now for the last 60 to 70 years had peace and stability in Europe."

    Peter Bradley, Former Labour MP for The Wrekin

    Graphic of national flags included in the EUImage source, EU COMMISSION
  9. News: Telford hospital admits it failed to follow guidelines over baby death; Shropshire A&E plans 'are not a done deal'published at 17:02 BST 22 June 2016

    Sam Fleet
    Journalist, BBC Shropshire

    The latest headlines:

    - Telford's Princess Royal Hospital has apologised and admits it failed to follow guidelines in connection with the death of a baby

    - Having Shropshire's A&E unit at either Shrewsbury or Telford is not a done deal, says health commissioner David Evans

    - Two Shropshire singer songwriters are heading to Glastonbury this week to perform on the BBC Introducing stage

  10. Footage of early female aviator uncoveredpublished at 16:36 BST 22 June 2016

    A Shropshire project to find lost film footage has unearthed a couple of gems recently.

    A man in Bishop's Castle handed over reels of film which included this rare footage of the early aviator Amy Johnson, on a flight over the Long Mynd.

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    She was the first female pilot to fly solo from Britain to Australia.

    The Bigger Picture, external project has also been given footage of the Ethopian leader Haile Selassie visiting Shropshire.

  11. Travel: Lines reopen at Newportpublished at 16:00 BST 22 June 2016

    Delays on trains between Shrewsbury and Dovey junction are expected to clear soon after a vehicle earlier hit a bridge outside Newport, Powys.

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  12. EU 'protects' UK farming - Bill McClementspublished at 15:43 BST 22 June 2016

    Joanne Gallacher
    Political reporter, BBC Shropshire

    The former Telford and Wrekin councillor and Remain campaigner Bill McClements was brought up on a farm. 

    He says the European Union helps farmers and the industry would face "meddling" if subsidies were taken on by the British government.

    Cow
    Quote Message

    I can remember when farming subsidies were run by the British government. Every year the Chancellor meddled with the subsidies. Over the last six years we have had a major austerity in this country and our farming subsidies weren't effected by the Chancellor because the EU was doing it."

    Bill McClements, Former Telford and Wrekin Councillor

  13. Shropshire school launches Lego classroompublished at 15:26 BST 22 June 2016

    James Bond
    Sports Producer, BBC Shropshire

    A Shropshire school has added a new subject to its curriculum - Lego. 

    Birchfield School in Albrighton has a partnership with Lego Education, external to use the bricks to deliver lessons, designed at producing the next generation of scientists and engineers.

    Teacher Penny Shevyn says the benefits reach beyond other conventional subjects.

    children with teacher playing with lego
    Quote Message

    It covers a wide range of the curriculum, knowledge and understanding of the world, creativity and most important most of all is the mathematical knowledge that they gain."

    Penny Shevyn, Teacher

  14. Farming 'won't be affected' if UK leaves EU - Owen Patersonpublished at 15:19 BST 22 June 2016

    Joanne Gallacher
    Political reporter, BBC Shropshire

    Both sides in the referendum debate are making their final appeals to voters, before the polls open tomorrow morning. 

    Callers to Jim Hawkins's show on BBC Shropshire have been asking how they might be affected. One asked whether farm subsidies would be cut if Britain leaves the EU. 

    The North Shropshire MP and former Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson says no.

    Quote Message

    The £2.9bn which we put in at the moment through pillar one and pillar two we could continue, or if we want to be like Norway, Switzerland we could actually spend more."

  15. Latest news: Telford hospital apologises over baby death; police appeal after Market Drayton deathpublished at 15:01 BST 22 June 2016

    Mark Elliott
    Reporter, BBC Shropshire

    The headlines:

    - The Princess Royal hospital in Telford apologises to parents after the death of a baby 

    - Detectives investigating the death of a man found in Market Drayton last week are appealing for information

    - A Shropshire cat's been nominated for a national award for saving its owners' lives

  16. Travel: Rail delays after vehicle hits bridgepublished at 14:55 BST 22 June 2016

    BBC Travel

    Rail commuters heading west into Wales face delays after a vehicle struck a bridge near Newtown, in Powys.

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  17. Your pictures: Beautiful sunset in south Shropshirepublished at 14:50 BST 22 June 2016

    BBC Weather Watchers

    This snap was taken last night just as the sun set over Church Stretton.

    Got a picture you'd like to share? Send it to us by email, tweet, external, or head to our Facebook, external page.

    Hazler Hill at sunsetImage source, Weather Watcher: Ashfield
  18. See behind the scenes at Severn Valley Railwaypublished at 14:35 BST 22 June 2016

    Sam Fleet
    Journalist, BBC Shropshire

    There's a chance to see behind the scenes at Severn Valley Railway, external on 16 July.

    Visitors will be able to see the engine sheds, carriage works and new Diesel Depot, as well as the work undertaken by staff and volunteers to keep the railway running on a daily basis, the SVR says.

    Signal box at Severn Valley RailwayImage source, SVR