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Keep Britain Tidy says there has been a rise in the number of people asking for litter picking kit.

Jess Phillips reads a list of all women killed in UK over the past year, in Women's Day debate.

Women around the UK have reacted to the disappearance of Sarah Everard by sharing their stories.

An MP says the University of Manchester's guidance on inclusive language is "wokery gone mad".

Under-fire Education Secretary Gavin Williamson tells heads how he has dealt with personal pressure.

Ellie Wright contracted coronavirus when she was 30 weeks pregnant but could not have treatment.

Tyrell Harris is due to be sentenced next month over his attack on Karl Gallagher in Smethwick.

Hundreds have complained about the "rotten egg" odour coming from the site at Silverdale.

Some plants are to be removed from a Birmingham park in a bid to stop the spread of a harmful pest.

A Statutory Plant Health Notice has been issued by the Forestry Commission for the Lickey Hills Country Park after the discovery of phytophthora ramorum - a pathogen harmful to trees and woodland.

It means Larch and rhododendron will be removed from a 12-hectare (29.6 acre) area of the park in the Beacon Hill area.

Image source, Getty Images

Phytophthora ramorum is transmitted through airborne spores, but felling or killing infected plants has been found to be effective in reducing the spread.

Councillor John O’Shea, responsible for parks, said: “It is clearly unfortunate that we have to carry out work on such a significant scale, but this is essential, and we will ensure that all activity is done in the most environmentally conscious way possible.”

A plaque has been unveiled on a Worcester bridge in memory of student Thomas Jones.

The 18-year-old's body was recovered from the River Severn in Worcester in September 2018.

An inquest heard the primary teaching student was "more than likely" responding to a cry for help before he apparently slipped and fell down an embankment.

The plaque has been placed on the Sabrina Bridge in the city.

His parents, Ian and Vicki, said "This is such a fitting tribute and we honestly can’t put into words what this means to us as a family."

Shropshire's fire brigade is disproportionately white, male and heterosexual compared to the general population, a report says.

Equality monitoring statistics gathered by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service show the number of non-white employees has stayed the same since last year.

The document, jointly authored by Chief Fire Officer Rod Hammerton and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer Natalie Parkinson and due to be discussed by fire authority members next week, also says women are "disproportionately under-represented in the operational workforce".

Mr Hammerton and Ms Parkinson note that the 2011 census found ethnic minorities made up 7% of the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin population, but make up 1.9% of the brigade workforce.

The report authors said generally accepted estimates put the percentage of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the general population at about 7% to 10% and current workforce monitoring responses showed a figure of 0.7%, a decrease from 0.8% last year.

Almost 88,000 people have now been vaccinated against the coronavirus in Wolverhampton.

The city council said a total of 87,657 vaccinations had been delivered so far, with 83,370 people having received the first of their two doses and 4,287 patients having had both.

It means over 10,000 jabs were given in the last week.

Image source, Getty Images

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, said: “Thousands more people have received a life-saving Covid-19 vaccination in the last week and the pace is only set to increase further in the weeks ahead as more individuals become eligible for their first jab and others go back for their second dose."

Early showers, with hail in places, should clear away to leave a mix of sunny spells and scattered showers. High: 9C (48F).

Turning cloudier tonight with wet and windy weather forecast which could see some heavy outbreaks of rain. Low: 4C (39F).

You can keep up-to-date at the ���˿��� Weather website.

Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors is due to be staged in an outdoor performance area this summer.

Campaigners fear Shrewsbury's former Granada Theatre could be turned into flats.

The site has been found "inadequate" by inspectors and placed in special measures.

The Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police, Gareth Morgan, has announced he will retire in June after four years in the position.

He has been a police officer for 33 years and said: "I am looking forward to rediscovering many of the interests I’ve not had time to pursue of late and to volunteering."

Image source, Staffordshire Police

Paying tribute, the Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis said: "Gareth has led the force through a huge period of change and a challenging financial landscape over the last few years and not least over the last 12 months with the pandemic."

A Labour MP lists all women killed in the UK over the last year where a man has been convicted or charged.

Amy Griffiths's killer is jailed for life over an attack of "extreme" violence.

After ���˿��� News reported on a woman who spends Friday evenings litter picking, others got in touch.