Birmingham

A woman from Birmingham has become the first person in the UK to have a wireless microcomputer implanted into her heart.

The device, which was implanted into 75-year-old Margaret McDermott's heart, will provide accurate data about its performance, including blood pressure, to doctors in real time.

Vectorius Technologies

Mrs McDermott's doctor, Professor Francisco Leyva, said the implant "has the potential to combat three of the biggest problems relating to heart failure disease; low patient quality of life, repeat admissions to hospital and the astronomical cost to the healthcare system of readmissions due to acute heart failure."

Mrs McDermott, from Moseley, said she "felt honoured" to be the first person in the UK to have the operation.

PC Gareth Phillips, who is recovering in hospital after being run over by his own police vehicle when he stopped a suspected stolen car in Birmingham, has had a hospital visit from his pet dog Diesel.

West Midlands Police

After regaining consciousness, one of the first things that PC Phillips asked about was how Diesel was, West Midlands Police said.

His 13-year-old chocolate labrador was allowed to visit the hospital to say hello and lift his spirits.

“He’s got a shattered pelvis and is in pain, but is taking each day as it comes and is making small steps in his recovery," colleague Supt Dave Twyford said.

Mubashar Hussain, 29, formerly of Sherwood Road, Hall Green, appeared at Birmingham Magistrates' Court last week charged with Mr Phillips's attempted murder.

We have blue skies reported around the region from our local BBC Weather Watchers this morning.

These three are from users Sayers in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, Freckles in Meerbrook, Staffordshire and Dammo in Birmingham:

Sayers

Freckles

Dammo

Police officers in Birmingham brought home the bacon last night after a stray pig was seen in the Shard End area of the city.

West Midlands Police

Officers responded to reports of the stray pig at about 23:00 on Sunday and are working with the RSPCA to find it a home.

The West Midlands Police officers said you "couldn't make it up" and asked anyone who may have lost the pig to get in touch.

West Midlands Police

Birmingham's Steven Knight has been commissioned by BBC One to adapt Ben Macintyre’s best-selling book SAS: Rogue Heroes for a new drama.

BBC

The BBC said the series would tell the story about how the elite force came into being as well as "delve into the psychology of the flawed, reckless but astonishingly brave group of maverick officers".

Casting and further details will be announced in due course.

This will be a secret history telling the story of exceptional soldiers who decided battles and won wars only to then disappear back into the shadows. We will shine a light on remarkable true events informed by the people who shaped them.”

Here's a selection of today's headlines on the Birmingham Live website:

• Five hurt as car overturns after crash with tram
• Birmingham man proposes - by writing 'will you marry me' across entire beach
• Suspect tries to jump wall after police pursuit - but dramatically fails

A 34-year-old man has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a woman was killed in a crash following a police chase.

The 28-year-old woman died in hospital after the blue Ford Fiesta she was travelling in, which had failed to stop for officers, struck another car in Crocketts Road, Birmingham, on Saturday night.

Unemployed Adrian Paskin, of no fixed address, is due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court later today, West Midlands Police said.

He also faces charges of driving with no insurance and driving without a licence.

A mix of sunny spells with some heavy showers - here's the full weather forecast.

Stay up to date with the latest weather for you area by heading to the BBC Weather website at any other time.

After all the rain we should be in for a largely dry night - here's the full forecast, including for the start of your weekend:

Keep up-to-date with the weather where you are at any other time by heading to the BBC Weather website.

Birmingham Airport's apologised to passengers facing long waits for their suitcases.

They were expecting nearly 49,000 people to pass through their two terminals today and several have tweeted of delays at baggage claim.

The airport's blamed "operational reasons" and promised more staff would be on hand to help.

A man's been jailed for 20 years after police said he deliberately mowed down a man with his car and left him with permanent brain injuries.

West Midlands Police

Ibrar Ali hit his victim on Hillaries Road in Erdington, Birmingham, in August last year.

West Midlands Police said, at the time, the 26-year-old victim was one of three men running down the street armed with baseball bats and machetes.

They say they believe the attack was due to a feud between two groups.

Ali, 20, of The Broadway, Perry Barr, was found not guilty of attempted murder but guilty of wounding with intent and causing grievous bodily harm.

The long delays facing rail passengers today in the West Midlands are set to continue late into this evening.

Services have been cancelled or diverted through Wolverhampton after overheard wires were damaged in the Rugeley Trent Valley area.

National Rail Enquiries expects that disruption to now last until 20:00.

A signal fault has also been delaying trains between Birmingham New Street and Bromsgrove/Redditch and that's now expected to last until at least 18:00.

Birmingham MP Liam Byrne was among thousands of people gathered outside the Indian High Commission in London on Thursday to protest against the country's decision to place part of Kashmir under lockdown.

Reuters

The Hodge Hill MP called for Indian PM Narendra Modi to "end the shutdown" in the region and pull out troops.

The disputed territory has been the site of decades of sporadic conflict.

Mr Modi's said the removal of Kashmir's special status, which gave it significant autonomy from the rest of India, would restore the region to its "past glory".

But, addressing the crowds in London, Mr Byrne said: "You can try and shut up a parliament but Mr Modi, you can't shut up a people and we here will not be silenced."

A motorcyclist has suffered "multiple serious injuries" in a crash involving a car in Wolverhampton last night, West Midlands Ambulance Service has said.

An ambulance crew was called to Coleman Street at 18:55 and found the motorcyclist had come off his bike and had become stuck underneath a van.

BBC

The motorcyclist was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for treatment.

No-one else was hurt.

More than 60 global medallists - including 10 Olympic champions, two Paralympic champions and 13 world champions - will be competing at the Birmingham Grand Prix on Sunday.

Getty Images

Christian Coleman, of the United States, heads the 100m field, Kenya's world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech stars in the women's 3,000m steeplechase, while Olympic champion Omar McLeod, of Jamaica, goes in the 110m hurdles.

Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson and heptathlon rival Nafi Thiam, of Belgium, are set for an intriguing battle in the long jump alongside the likes of Serbia's world indoor champion Ivana Spanovic.

It's the ninth year in a row that the stadium has hosted the event but there will now be a break as it's redeveloped for the Commonwealth Games.

The grand prix will be live on the BBC across TV, online and mobile app.

Three men and a woman have been arrested in connection with a stabbing in Tamworth on Monday.

Staffordshire Police said the victim, a 42-year-old man, remains in a stable condition in hospital, recovering from stab wounds to his arms.

Staffordshire Police

The force said the four are:

• A 26-year-old woman from Worcestershire, arrested on suspicion of being involved in supplying class A drugs
• A 23-year-old man from Worcestershire arrested on suspicion of assault GBH with intent, aggravated burglary and being concerned in the supply of drugs.
• A 24-year-old man from Birmingham arrested on suspicion of section 18 wounding, aggravated burglary and being concerned in the supply of class A drugs
• A 24-year-old man from Birmingham arrested on suspicion of burglary, assault ABH and possession of a class A drugs.

All four remain in police custody

Police have released CCTV footage of men they want to trace after an attack on a man with a walking stick.

The victim, in his 50s, was kicked and hit with a metal bar as he stood at a bus stop in Bordesley Green, Birmingham.

West Midlands Police

Two men demanded cash and tried to search his pockets and, when he fell to the floor, attacked him with the bar. They were chased off empty-handed by a member of the public.

The incident took place on 28 July.

West Midlands Police

The Birmingham Live website's headlines today include:

• Huge mass brawl as 'tensions flare between two families'
• Armed gang who held West Bromwich family at knifepoint still on loose
• Drink-driver clocked at 130mph on motorway

Severe problems on the rail network are set to continue into the afternoon.

Overhead wire damage in the Rugeley Trent Valley area means fewer railway lines are available. Services could be cancelled or diverted through Wolverhampton, adding 40 minutes to journey times.

London Northwestern Railway, Virgin Trains and West Midlands Railway services will be disrupted until 16:00.

Meanwhile, trains are running at slower speeds between Birmingham New Street and Bromsgrove/Redditch due to a fault with the signalling system.

CrossCountry tweeted trains are being delayed by up to 30 minutes.

A huge fire at a skip recycling centre is believed to have been started deliberately.

West Midlands Fire Service

A large amount of rubbish was "well alight" when 10 firefighters got to Popes Lane, Kings Norton, Birmingham, just after midnight.

West Midlands Fire Service said they used a digger to tackle it and it took more than three hours to get under control.

West Midlands Fire Service

Birmingham Airport is expecting its busiest day of the year today.

Nearly 49,000 travellers are expected to pass through with the most popular destinations being Dublin, Dubai and Mallorca.

BBC

The airport says the busiest day in 2018 was September 3 when a total of 46,683 passengers used the airport.

On top of the disruption to services through Rugeley Trent Valley this morning, a signalling fault's delaying services between Birmingham New Street and Bromsgrove/Redditch.

Services are having to run at a reduced speed between Five Ways and University, National Rail Enquiries says.

It's expecting disruption to CrossCountry and West Midlands Railway services until at least 11:30.

A man's been charged after three robberies in Birmingham one of which saw a 76-year-old man being shoved to the floor.

A bus pass and cash were stolen In the attack on 3 August on Coventry Road, Sheldon.

Other robberies happened on Pershore Street on 31 July and on a bus on Cranes Park Road the following day, with phones, cash and bank cards taken.

A 35-year-old, from Berryfields Road, Sheldon, has been charged with three counts of robbery and will appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court later, police said.

A reminder that there are severe problems on the rail network.

Damage to the overhead electric wires in the Rugeley Trent Valley area is resulting in fewer lines being available for trains to run on, the National Rail Enquiries website reports.

It is anticipated disruption will continue until 12:00.

London Northwestern Railway, Virgin Trains and West Midlands Railway services are all affected with some trains cancelled or diverted through Birmingham.

It's going to be a wet one today with rain due to spread across the West Midlands throughout the day - here's the full forecast:

You can get a latest forecast for your area at any other time by going to the BBC Weather website.

Dry and clear to start tonight but it's then going to soon turn cloudy - here's the full forecast for the West Midlands.

You can get a latest forecast at any other time for your area from the BBC Weather website.

Hundreds of university staff and students are manning phones today, to help young people who didn't get the grades they wanted.

They're also helping students find accommodation for September.

And they've been sharing inspirational stories from past students who came to them through clearing and ended up having a really positive experience.