Industry

A pub that was forced to close by a council after "persistently" breaching the conditions of its licence has applied for a new one.

The Rocket Pools Inn in Bradley lost its licence last month after allowing alcohol to be served without a nominated supervisor and for failing to keep CCTV records.

City council officers also found the pub, in Rocket Pool Drive, did not have a fire risk assessment which is a condition of its licence.

The pub remains closed but is currently being refurbished and has applied for a new alcohol licence.

The licence hearing in March heard how Juggi Sunar, who ran the pub for 20 years, had died suddenly on 7 January, with the ownership handed to Kiran Sunar and son Shaun.

Both asked the council for a "clean slate" having been left "appalled" by how the pub had been run but despite their pleas, the pub's licence was revoked by the authority.

Footage of a 04:00 lock-in last November was found when the council finally got hold of the pub's CCTV, only for the owner to tell the council just two days later, after a copy of the video had been requested, that it had been stolen in a break-in.

The licence application by Simon Pailing asks for permission to sell alcohol as well as play live and recorded music between 10:00 BST and midnight every day.

Plans to build a battery energy storage system (BESS) next to a former power station have been approved.

One Plant Developments wants to install the facility on greenbelt land off Stranglands Lane, near to the former Ferrybridge C power station.

BESS facilities take in power from renewable energy sources and then release it back to the National Grid when demand is high.

Wakefield Council gave its backing to the plan, which received no comments of support but only one objection.

One Plant Developments said it had chosen the location due to its proximity to the Ferrybridge C substation, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The firm said: "There are no residential properties in the immediate vicinity of the application site, and the proposed development is not likely to affect any significant number of people.

"Given that the proposed BESS will be an unmanned facility, with access required only for occasional maintenance inspections, and there being no public access to the site, there are no particular access issues that require to be addressed."

The former Ferrybridge power plant, close to the River Aire, was shut in March 2016 after more than 50 years of energy production.

It was once one of the biggest power generators in Europe, with its coal-fired boilers producing enough electricity to power 2m homes.

West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds

People playing padel in the West Midlands say they need more courts to be built or the growth of the sport will slow down.

The blend of tennis and squash has been growing in popularity in recent years and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) estimates there are currently about 800 courts and more than 400,000 players in Britain.

Three indoor courts have been opened in Tipton with bosses at Sandwell Leisure Trust saying they want to make the sport less expensive in the area.

Umar Razah uses them but wants to see more as he believes the lack of them "is impacting the growth of the sport".

One of Birmingham's oldest buildings will host a street food evening next month.

Digbeth Dining Club (DDC) will hold the pop-up event on 27 June in the grounds of Blakesley Hall, a Grade-II listed Tudor farmhouse in Yardley.

DDC has previously held pop-ups at Midlands landmarks such as Warwick Castle and the Black Country Living Museum.

Blakesley Hall, built in 1590, is steeped in history according to the Birmingham Museums Trust.

DDC said it had partnered with the trust, which looks after nine museums on behalf of the city council, in order to put on the event.

DDC runs an annual summer tour of pop-up events across the Midlands, with more than 40 events planned for this year so far.

A Victorian market has been praised as a "special" part of its town after being named the best in Staffordshire.

Longton Victorian Market, in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, won the Market of the Year honour at the Our Staffordshire Business, Charity, Community and Food Awards 2025.

The 150-year-old site fended off competition from six other markets, including runners-up Cannock Market and Tunstall Market.

Dr Allison Gardner, Stoke-on-Trent South MP, said: "This is a fantastic recognition of the incredible traders, local produce and community spirit that make the market such a special part of Longton."

The awards, run by Our Staffordshire News, were held on 14 April, with more than 30 honours presented during the ceremony.

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said the honour showed how important markets were to communities.

"All of our traders and our dedicated markets team work tirelessly to make sure our markets remain at the heart of our town centres, so I would like to pass on my huge congratulations to them," he added.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of a woman was found at a house in Hampshire.

Police were called at 09:40 BST on Thursday to reports of a man walking along the M40 motorway, near junction 3 in Buckinghamshire.

Officers attended and the man told them about the death of a woman in Timsbury Crescent, Havant, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said.

The body of a woman in her 40s was subsequently found at the property.

The man, aged 48 and from High Wycombe, remains in custody. Officers are carrying out enquiries at Timsbury Crescent.

The woman's next of kin has been informed.

Two firefighters who died in a blaze at an Oxfordshire business park have been named as Jennie Logan and Martyn Sadler, while a member of the public who died is David Chester.

Ms Logan, 30, Mr Sadler, 38, and Mr Chester, 57, from Bicester, died after explosions were heard at Bicester Motion – a former RAF base – on Thursday.

Both firefighters worked at Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Mr Sadler was also part of the London Fire Brigade, Thames Valley Police said.

Two more firefighters sustained serious injuries and remain in hospital, Oxfordshire County Council said.

The fire was reported at about 18:30 BST on Thursday and rapidly spread through a former aircraft hangar at the site.

At its height, 10 fire crews were tackling the blaze.

The police have launched an unexplained death investigation, but are not currently treating it as a criminal matter.

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Metcalfe described the deaths as "an absolute tragedy" and said the thoughts of everyone at the force were with the families, friends and colleagues of those who had died.

Officers will remain at the scene for a number of days to ensure the public remain safe.

At the scene on Friday, a visibly emotional Chief Fire Officer Rob MacDougall said he spoke with "a heavy heart" when he confirmed the deaths.

He added: "Our thoughts are with the family friends and colleagues affected during this time.

"I'm immensely proud and grateful for the exemplary multiagency response and the unwavering bravery demonstrated by the emergency services personnel."

London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe described it as an "incredibly challenging day" for UK fire services and said it highlighted the high-risk nature of their work.

He said: "This is clearly an incredibly difficult time for us all; we have lost a well-respected and much-loved colleague who exemplified courage and selflessness in the service of others.

"Our thoughts are with all the families, friends, and colleagues impacted by this tragedy. We are doing everything we can to provide support to Martyn's family and colleagues."

He added: "Our sincere condolences go out to Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service who also sadly lost a firefighter at this incident, with a further two colleagues in hospital."

The family of murdered GAA official Sean Brown have said they had a "very positive" meeting with the Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) Simon Harris and that they left him in "no doubt" about their ongoing campaign for a public inquiry into the murder.

The meeting at Government Buildings in Dublin on Monday took place on the 28th anniversary of Mr Brown's death.

The father of six was abducted and shot dead by members of the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) as he locked gates at Bellaghy GAA club, County Londonderry, in 1997.

He was 61 years old when he died.

Mr Brown's 87-year-old wife Bridie attended the meeting, alongside her daughters Siobhan Brown and Clare Loughran.

Speaking afterwards, Siobhan said the tánaiste had been "very empathetic" about their father's case.

She said: "We have made it known what we need."

Earlier this month, the Court of Appeal affirmed a previous court ruling compelling the UK government to hold a public inquiry into his killing.

The government said it intends to seek a Supreme Court appeal over the ruling ordering it to hold a public inquiry.

A previous court also ruled that the government's refusal to hold an inquiry was unlawful.

There have been two police investigations and a Police Ombudsman investigation into Mr Brown's murder.

Tánaiste commends Brown family

During the meeting, Harris told the Brown family the absence of an effective investigation into Sean Brown's death was "simply unacceptable".

He also commended Bridie Brown and her family on their tireless campaign for truth over the last 28 years.

Speaking afterwards, he said the anniversary of Mr Brown's death was a stark reminder his family have "waited far too long for truth and accountability".

"I reiterated this point, as I have previously, to the secretary of state for Northern Ireland in a phone call with him last Friday," he said.

"I say it again today and I will continue to use every channel available to me to pursue this matter.

"In the absence of an effective investigation into his death – which the UK government agrees has not yet taken place – the passage of time makes this increasingly pressing."

GAA President Jarlath Burns was also part of the delegation in support of the Brown family.

He said he was also there to represent the support of "all GAA people".

Mr Burns said he was "heartened" by what he heard from the tánaiste, adding that the Irish government had lent its support "right from the beginning" and the campaign knew that "it will continue".

Last year during an inquest, it emerged that more than 25 people, including state agents, had been linked by intelligence material to Mr Brown's murder.

In March 2024, a coroner said the inquest could not continue due to material being withheld on the grounds of national security.

He decided that redactions of intelligence material meant he could not properly investigate the circumstances of the killing.

The coroner later wrote to the then secretary of state, Chris Heaton-Harris, requesting a public inquiry into the case.

Police are appealing for information after a group robbed and assaulted three men in a Gloucestershire town.

The incident happened at about 22:00 BST near to the King's Head Hotel on Market Place, in Cirencester, on Wednesday.

Gloucestershire Police said a group of four or five men wearing yellow hi-vis jackets approached the three men, who are all in their 20s.

A conversation between them started before one of the men wearing a hi-vis jacket punched a man in the other group.

It has been reported that he also used a stick to hit the victim.

A two-day festival celebrating farming history has opened at Guernsey Museum.

This year's History Fest theme is billed as a celebration of life on the farm and it is being run alongside another exhibition at the museum called Guernsey Milk Tales.

The events aim to educate visitors about traditional Guernsey skills and industries.

Miffy Lane, access and learning manager, said: "We're so excited to be hosting History Fest here for the second year running."

Guernsey Milk Tales, a temporary exhibition located at the Brian White Gallery and Foyer, is on until 14 September.

Ms Lane said: "Inspired by the farmer's market, this is a unique way to celebrate spring and to take a moment to appreciate our island's traditional industries."