Latest updates: Herefordshire and Worcestershire

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Video: Your 30-second weather forecast

A largely cloudy day with spells of rain and drizzle throughout the morning and highs of 11C (52F).

Latest weather for the West Midlands

Charge over man's city centre stab death

A 31-year-old is charged with conspiracy to commit murder in connection with Robert Eacock's death.

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Lack of supplies spurs on Atlantic rower

A Herefordshire woman is 15 days into her challenge to become the fastest woman to row solo across the Atlantic.

Kiko Matthews is travelling 3,000 miles from Grand Canaria to Barbados, to raise money for King's College Hospital in London for the treatment they gave her after she was diagnosed with a condition called Cushing's.

She wants to complete the challenge in in a world record time of 45 days, 11 days less than the current record.

But she phoned home to say supplies are running low.

BBC

I'm trying not to count down the days but it is hard. Hoping that I don't run out of loo roll, I forgot to pack myself enough loo roll so I need to get to Barbados quick."

Kiko MatthewsAtlantic rower

Facebook post shows inmate's attack

The Prison Service says it is "urgently" working to remove the footage from social media.

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Banksy-style mural appears in entrance to bar

This Bansky-style cavemen carrying a glass and a bottle of wine, has appeared in the entrance to a bar in Upton-upon-Severn in Worcestershire.

People in the town aren't convinced the mural on The Old Butcher's Shop wine bar is genuine, but a CCTV camera across the street might provide the answers.

BBC

TA base suicide vest scare man jailed

Daniel Bebb-Jones loaded a fake bomb vest with screws and nails and armed himself with other weapons.

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Homecoming parade for Mercian Regiment troops

A homecoming parade will be held for soldiers from the Mercian Regiment who have been serving in Iraq for the last six months.

Members of 2nd Battalion have been training Kurdish and Iraqi troops to fight the Islamic State group.

BBC

The regiment, which draws troops from the West Midlands, will hold the parade in Chester.

Arrest over man's city centre stab death

A 31-year-old is suspected of conspiracy to commit murder in connection with Robert Eacock's death.

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Rights of way campaigners unhappy at wood closure

Rights of way campaigners say they are disappointed at the recent closure of Langdale Woods.

The Three Counties Agricultural Society, which says it has made the move to carry out a "full safety review" following recent storm damage, disputes their claim for public access.

BBC

The society also explained it has to close the wood for "essential maintenance work" sometimes, as it works to restore the land, which was once a military training area with trenches.

It recently had a bid to build 50 holiday lodges rejected by Malvern Hills District Council and the campaigners have suggested the closure was in response to that decision - something the society denies.

Money to improve CCTV cameras

An extra £135,000 is going to be spent to improve CCTV cameras in south Worcestershire.

It follows an agreement by West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion to give £65,000 a year to Wychavon District Council, with the remaining money spent on running costs.

Getty Images

The council has been responsible for the cameras for the last 18 years and says more than 700 requests were made for footage of incidents in 2017.

Woodland closed for full safety review after storm damage

The owner of Langdale Woods near Malvern has closed it off to the public, saying it needs to carry out a full safety review.

The Three Counties Agricultural Society says it's necessary because of recent storm damage to the trees.

BBC

Campaigners have been trying to establish a right of way for walkers through the wood.

The Society, like other landowners, is entitled to close its property to the public. On this occasion the area is closed for a full safety review. We have significant duty of care concerns and do not want to take a risk with people’s safety."

Three Counties Agricultural Society

Further arrest over Hereford murder

Another man has been arrested in connection with a stabbing in Hereford.

Robert Eacock, who was 33, died in hospital on 29 January after being stabbed in Commercial Street the previous day.

BBC

A 31-year-old man from Dudley, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, is being held in police custody.

Anthony Boyd, 22, from Willenhall, has been charged with Mr Eacock's murder and is due to appear at Worcester Crown Court on 5 March.

In the papers: Public help PC catch violent shoplifter

Here are some of the main stories on the Worcester News website today:

• Public help PC catch violent shoplifter in Worcester.
• Woman banned from Debenhams after harassing security guard.
• Warndon anti-social behaviour continues.

Here's how the weather is looking

Another chilly start to the day.

Here's how the rest of the day is looking and you can always get the latest forecast for your area by going to the BBC Weather website.

A chilly start on Friday morning.

Council approves tax rise of nearly 5%

Council tax will be going up by 4.94% from April in Worcestershire, adding roughly £57 a year to average band D bills.

The Conservative group on Worcestershire County Council voted for the rise after a bid by the Liberal Democrats and Greens to increase it by 6% was rejected.

Getty Images

Attempts made to control illegal diet drug

The Food Standards Agency, Interpol and British police have been attempting to stop diet pills containing 2,4-dinitrophenol - or DNP - entering the UK, but the drugs are still getting through.

DNP is an industrial chemical which can burn fat, but it is not intended to consumed by humans and it has been linked to a number of deaths, including Eloise Parry (pictured below) from Shrewsbury in 2015 and Beth Shipsey from Worcester in 2017.

Parry family

Around 19 websites believed to be selling diet products containing a chemical have been shut down, but a recent BBC investigation found they were still available.

Polluted river returns to normal

The Piddle Brook in Worcestershire has recovered after yesterday's pollution incident and all the dead fish have been removed.

The Environment Agency said yesterday it believed hundreds of fish had died and it is continuing to monitor the water quality today.

Environment Agency

It added waste water from a farm was to blame.

Watch: Tonight and tomorrow's weather forecast

Mainly dry this afternoon but are we in for a frosty night and how will tomorrow look? Here's your forecast for the next 24 hours.

Plus, if you want an update on the latest weather forecast for your area at any other time, head to the BBC Weather website.

Shefali Oza

999 caller complained children didn't want to go to school

A man from Telford has called 999 to tell the police his children were arguing with his wife - because they didn't want to go to school.

West Mercia Police say they took the call this morning and tweeted: "We will always assist if there is risk or threat or harm but cannot attend to tell your children to go to school."

BBC

Family wants tougher diet drug controls

Family of girl who died from illegal diet drug call for tougher controls

Beth Shipsey's parents have challenged the government following her death.

Diet pill overdose death 'huge mistake'

On the anniversary of her death, Beth Shipsey's parents say she did not mean to take her own life.

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Family calls for tougher diet drug controls

The family of a 21-year-old who died after overdosing on an illegal diet drug wants tougher controls.

Beth Shipsey, from Worcester, died after taking pills containing the substance DNP in February 2017.

DNP is an industrial chemical which is not intended for human consumption, but it is sold illegally in diet pills as a fat burning substance.

Doug and Carol Shipsey say they want the government to do more to stop it being imported into the country.

Family of girl who died from illegal diet drug call for tougher controls

Your photos: Branching out with tree pictures

We appear to have a theme this morning of trees being photographed against blue, sunny skies by our BBC Weather Watchers.

Here are three, from users Thornhill Watch in Hednesford, Staffordshire; Peter Steggles in Longnor, Shropshire and Johnqa in Lyonshall, Herefordshire.

Thornhill Watch

Peter Steggles

Johnqa

GKN calls Melrose bid 'opportunistic'

Engineering firm GKN has written to shareholders describing a hostile takeover bid from turnaround specialist Melrose as "entirely opportunistic".

PA

GKN has its headquarters in Redditch and employs 4,000 people in the West Midlands.

Yesterday, it said it would sell off non-core parts of its business and return £2.5bn in cash to its shareholders over the next three years.

Today, the firm said that the terms of the £7.4bn offer from Melrose "fundamentally undervalue" the business.

Pollution investigation after 'significant' fish deaths

An investigation's now under way after large numbers of fish died in a waterway in Worcestershire.

Environment Agency

The Environment Agency says they were called out yesterday to Piddle Brook, Pershore, calling the number of deaths "significant".

They say they believe they've now stopped the pollution which caused the fish deaths and water quality has improved.

Here's how Thursday's weather is looking

It's been a damp start in parts of the West Midlands but here's a look ahead to what else the weather has in store today.

If you want to get an up-to-date forecast at any other time, head to the BBC Weather website.

Alex Hamilton

Animals 'brutally slaughtered' by intruders

A calf and a ewe have been killed in a "sickening incident" in Worcestershire.

West Mercia Police say someone broke into a property on Redhill Lane in Rubery some time between Sunday night and 08:00 on Tuesday morning and "brutally slaughtered" the calf, before dragging over a ewe from a nearby field and killing that too.

The force said the attack "undoubtedly caused a lot of suffering to the two animals" and believes it was done for their meat.

Girl's diet pill death 'was suicide'

A coroner rules Beth Shipsey "deliberately ingested" the pills but medics failed to adequately monitor her.

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Source of river pollution located

The Environment Agency believes it has found the source of pollution in a Worcestershire river.

It also said water quality in the Piddle Brook has improved, but "sadly large numbers of fish have been killed".

Environment Agency

An investigation into what caused the pollution is underway.

Rain forecast to clear up overnight

The rain should be clearing up overnight and tomorrow is forecast to be a little warmer.

Shefali Oza with the forecast for the West Midlands