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A sharp rise in the number of drivers prosecuted for speeding on West Midlands roads has prompted police warnings against the "dangerous and reckless" behaviour.

Police data revealed some of the motorists were caught driving at "extreme speeds" of up to 130mph (209.2km/h) in 50mph (80.4km/h) zones.

More than 3,600 offences were recorded in March 2025, an increase of 31% on figures from January, police data showed.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster said the rise in prosecutions was due to an £188,000 investment in speed camera vans.

In January, 2,820 speeding offences were recorded, rising to 3,199 in February and 3,696 in March, the data showed.

One motorist was discovered speeding at 84mph (135.1km/h) in a 40mph (64.3km/h) zone on Coundon Wedge Drive, Coventry, while another was caught doing 130mph in a 50mph zone on Collector Road, Solihull.

Others were seen driving at 82mph (131.9km/h) in a 40mph zone in Small Heath Highway, Birmingham, and 83mph (133.5km/h) in an 40mph zone on Newton Road, Sandwell.

Ch Insp Keeley Bevington, of West Midlands Police's traffic and safer travel unit, said the numbers were "deeply concerning".

"Speeding is not just a minor infraction; it's a dangerous and reckless act that can have devastating consequences," she said.

"We urge all drivers to stick to the speed limit and prioritise the safety of themselves and others on the road."

PCC Simon Foster said his investment had doubled the number of speed camera vans in the region from four to eight.

He said police would continue to take "robust action" against "irresponsible and thoughtless" drivers.

"Driving at careless, dangerous, reckless and unlawful speeds, is a major factor in road collisions," he added.

"We must do everything possible to make our roads safe, so as to reduce the likelihood of people being tragically and avoidably, killed and seriously injured."

TikTok chef Spudman said the Suffolk Show was the "best two days of the year" for his business after selling thousands of jacket potatoes to attendees.

Spudman, whose real name is Ben Newman, used 5,000 potatoes to produce more than 3,300 portions from his food truck during the two-day agricultural event at Trinity Park in Ipswich, Suffolk.

With more than 4.2 million followers on TikTok, did Spudman's presence help or hinder other food vendors at the show?

Photographs taken by firefighters reveal damage caused by a wildfire to parts of a large forest on the shores of the Moray Firth.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) was alerted on Monday morning to the blaze in Culbin Forest – an important habitat to wildlife including red squirrels, badgers and dragonflies.

Dozens of firefighters, supported by a helicopter dropping water, tackled the flames which caused damage and destruction to a large area of pine trees and scrub.

SFRS said two fire engines were still at the scene near Forres.

Culbin Forest is an area of woods and farmland on the Moray Firth coast between Nairn, in the Highlands, and Burghead, in Moray.

The wildfire covered an area of about 2,500m (8,202ft) by 2,500m.

SFRS had urged the public to stay away from the affected area and asked nearby residents to keep windows of their homes closed because of the smoke.

More than 30 firefighters brought the fire under control on Tuesday.

The incident came during a long dry and warm spell of weather.

The SFRS defines wildfires as large, uncontrolled outdoor fires that can exceed 1,000 square metres in area.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manages about eight miles (13km) of Culbin, and a network of paths through it.

An FLS spokesperson urged the public not to set fires in the forest.

Wildfires typically happen in places with combustible vegetation that acts as fuel and allows flames to spread rapidly.

The president of the largest communal body of Jews in the UK has responded to an open letter signed by some of its representatives criticising Israel's offensive in Gaza.

Phil Rosenberg, president of The Board of Deputies of British Jews, said he disagreed with the letter, which he said "lays blame squarely on the Israeli Government".

He also criticised the letter, published in the Financial Times, for "barely" mentioning Hamas and the role he said it had played in the breakdown of hostage release negotiations.

On Tuesday, 36 members, or Deputies, signed the letter, saying it was their "duty, as Jews, to speak out".

It was the first show of opposition to the Gaza war by some of the Board's members – which is made up of more than 300 Deputies.

A council has reaffirmed its commitment to resolve a growing hole in special needs funding ahead of a government-mandated deadline.

At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Wiltshire councillors were told that the deficit from the cost of supporting children with special educational needs (SEN) , which currently stands at £61m, is forecast to be around £96m by March next year.

The council has permission to run up a ring-fenced deficit – known as a 'statutory override' – to meet its statutory requirements around SEN funding until that time.

The Department for Education recently told the council that ministers are "not considering any extensions to agreements." according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

At the first meeting of Wiltshire Council's new Liberal Democrat-run cabinet, councillor Jon Hubbard, cabinet member for children's services, told colleagues that since 2018, the pressure on the council's SEN funding had increased dramatically, while contributions from the government had failed to keep pace.

The number of children supported by an Education, Health and Care Plan – EHCPs – increased by 51% between 2018-19 and 2022-23 and demands increased by 46% over the same period.

But the money supplied by the government over the same period increased by just 36%.

Safety valve

Promising "not to sugar coat" the situation, Councillor Hubbard said: "The critical issue facing us is the statutory override that expires in April 2026.

"Without clarity from the government about how the £96m deficit will be managed, this remains our single biggest financial risk.

"We simply cannot absorb this level of debt within our existing reserves."

In March 2024, the council signed a bailout agreement known as a 'safety valve' with the Department for Education (DfE).

The DfE committed to give the council an additional £67m over five years for SEN funding, on the condition that the council balanced its Dedicated Schools Grant budget.

However, with the number of EHCPs "continuing to exceed forecasted levels," the council is not on track to meet its targets.

Councillor Gavin Grant said: "The safety valve is one of the most serious threats to this council."

Council leader Ian Thorn agreed, saying it was "the one thing that keeps us all awake at night."

The first new council homes are set to be built in Skipton for decades, councillors have agreed.

North Yorkshire Council is set to spend £840,000 buying 12 new houses that are part of a 53-home development on Airedale Avenue.

The properties will be allocated to families on the council's housing waiting list with priority given to those with a local connection to the market town, before being offered to those elsewhere in North Yorkshire.

The new housing is expected to be completed in phases between March 2026 and December 2026.

Council officials said there was a high level of housing need within the former Craven district, with almost 700 applicants on the register.

Of these, Skipton has the highest concentration of people on the waiting list, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The new housing has been welcomed by councillor Simon Myers, who said: "I would think they're the first new council homes in Skipton for 40 years.

"It's only a drop in the ocean compared to the hundreds on the register, but it does mean that 12 families get on the waiting list and into a new, good home."

As well as the 12 houses bought for rent by the council, four other homes will be acquired by Bracewell Homes, the authority's separate shared ownership housing company.

The council approved its housing revenue account 30-year business plan last year.

The document includes the delivery of 500 new council homes over the next five years to 2029.

The majority of the funding to buy the properties will come from the authority's housing revenue account, with around £39,000 coming from right-to-buy receipts.

The housing development has full planning approval and work is due to start on site in early 2026.

Businesses affected by the extended closure of a major route in Oxford will receive goodwill payments to "recognise the trouble the delays have caused", the rail minister has said.

Some small, local businesses impacted by the delayed works on Botley Road will be eligible to receive one-off payments from an £850,000 government fund.

The road has been closed since April 2023 as part of a £231m Network Rail project to upgrade Oxford Station and is expected to reopen in August 2026.

Rail minister Lord Hendy welcomed the additional support and said he was "glad the project is now on track".

When the rail operator first outlined its plans the road was expected to be shut over two six-month periods, with a six-month break in-between in April 2023.

But in September 2023 it announced there would be no break because works had run behind schedule following the discovery of a Victorian-era arch.

Then in July last year it said it would not reopen in October as planned due to issues with "highly complex" pipework.

A new timetable was adopted in January this year, with reopening set for August 2026.

During a visit to the site on Friday, Lord Hendy said: "I'm pleased that Network Rail can now offer payments to those eligible small, local businesses affected, and while it can't undo all the hardship businesses have faced, it recognises the trouble the delays have caused."

"That wont make up for the long-term disruption that this has caused – but it will be financial goodwill payments that will help them survive and prosper after this job is finished.

"The scale of the disruption here, and the evident distress that this has caused local businesses is something that we have been mindful of, and we've argued our way through government to get a decent sum of money that can be applied for by those businesses and distributors in a fair and equitable way."

Businesses can apply for the one-off government payments through Network Rail, although a time scale has not yet been provided for when the funding would be handed out.

Amanda Suliman Bell, who owns the Rainbow and Spoon boutique in Frideswide Square, said the payments were "excellent news".

"The fact that there is an offer on the table and we are going to get a slice of the pie is really good news for everyone involved," she told the BBC.

She said, however, that it was "too little to late" for some businesses that had already been forced to close.

"Footfall has been an issue and no business can survive without footfall," she added.

Layla Moran, Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, said the payments would go "some way towards repairing the damage caused by the chaos and disruption of this project".

"Our vibrant local businesses now have a better chance to come out of the other side of this difficult period and thrive," she said.

The scheme follows the closure of Courtney Pianos after more than three decades – with the owner pinpointing the long delays to the Botley Road works as the main cause.

Owner David Hogben told the BBC the effect the disruption had on the shop was "like falling off the edge of a cliff", adding there had been a 40% drop in sales since the closure.

In April, five separate businesses affected by the works stopped paying their business rates and said they would not pay them until they received further financial support.

At the time, Network Rail said it was supporting local firms with "independent, tailored advice" to apply for a reduction in their business rates.

During Lord Hendy's visit to Oxford it was also revealed that costs for the scheme had risen to £231m – about £70m more than initially suggested.

A new walkway and cycleway is also set to be completed this summer.

Marcus Jones, Network Rail's western route director, said: "We know the delays to this project have been frustrating, and we're sorry for the disruption they've caused.

"The good news is that the project is now firmly back on track, and we're making strong progress.

"We're committed to keeping the community informed as we deliver a safer, more accessible Oxford station for everyone."

Victims of the car attack that left 11 people dead at a festival in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday have not yet been named by police, but they are now being identified online by family and colleagues.

The victims, nine females and two males, range in age from a five-year-old girl to a 65-year-old man. More than two dozen other people were injured, according to police.

Up to 100,000 revellers were celebrating the Lapu-Lapu festival in Canada's largest west coast city when the attack occurred.

A 30-year-old man has been arrested and is facing multiple murder charges. Officials have not yet released a motive, but say the case is not being treated as terrorism.

Seven victims in hospital were in a critical condition, according to Vancouver police spokesman Sgt Steve Addison. Three others were in a serious condition.

Here's what we know about some of those who have been identified in social media posts and on fundraising pages by family and colleagues.

The Le family – ages 5, 30 and 47

Katie Le, five, was the youngest person to die in the attack. She was killed along with her father, Richard Le, 47, and mother Linh Hoang, 30.

Her 16-year-old brother, who stayed home from the festival to do homework, is the family's sole survivor, a relative wrote on a GoFundMe page.

"This event was meant to be a joyful community gathering, celebrating unity and the strength of a connected people," wrote Richard Le's brother, Toan Le.

Katie was about to graduate from kindergarten, and was "vibrant, joyful, and full of life".

Toan Le remembered his brother Richard Le as "a dedicated father, badminton and tennis coach, and real estate professional".

"He devoted his life to teaching young people the values of sportsmanship and team spirit. He served his community and clients with pride and always went out of his way to help others," he wrote.

Linh Hoang "was known for her kindness and gentle spirit", and had recently been planning a trip to visit family in Vietnam.

Toan Le told CTV News the 16-year-old survivor was still in shock.

"He's still trying to absorb the situation, and I don't think he is fully comprehending what has happened," he said, adding that the boy was in the care of family.

Kira Salim

Kira Salim, a teacher and counsellor at Fraser River Middle School and New Westminster Secondary School, was among those killed.

"Kira was a valued member of our community whose wisdom and care for our middle and secondary school students had a powerful impact," school officials Maya Russell and Mark Davidson wrote in a statement.

"The loss of our friend and colleague has left us all shocked and heartbroken," they added.

"We recognize Kira's passing may be difficult to process," the school district's statement said.

"We are a small but mighty community. This is one of the qualities of New Westminster that Kira loved the most," they wrote.

Salim is described in a LinkedIn page as a mental health provider and educator.

"My personal mission is facilitating and guiding youth and marginalized communities to thrive in their lives while creating a diverse and equitable environment that uplifts different strengths and personalities while providing customized and innovative solutions to support patients," Salim wrote.

Salim wrote in a post that it "is a dream come true" after taking a job at Frazer River Middle School nine months ago.

New West Pride, an LGBT advocacy group, memorialised Salim with a photo.

"They were an epic drag king, a wonderful exuberant contributer [sic] to our local community, volunteer, activist, local educator, mental health worker," the group wrote.

"Kira will be deeply missed."

A teashop, which was located in a shopping centre for more than 50 years, has reopened in a pub.

Robby's Tea Shop launched in 1972 in The Arndale – now called Luton Point – in Luton town centre, Bedfordshire, but closed down last month following discussions about "rent".

Owner Denise Clayburn, 46, said people were upset "as everyone had such fond memories, their children and grandchildren had all grown up with it and it was sad to see".

After she announced the closure on social media, the new owner of the George II pub in Bute Street offered her a space in the pub.

The teashop was set up by Ms Clayburn's father-in-law, who named it after his son, her late husband, who was called Rob.

She said: "It is more than just a teashop, people have grown up with it, people who have lost their partners, it is somewhere where people feel comfortable."

Ms Clayburn said the only thing that would be majorly different at the new location was food choice and added: "We don't have the cakes we had in the teashop."

"The staff are all still here – it is just a different environment."

Ms Clayburn thanked the community, which had supported them for 53 years.

"The teashop would never have lasted this long without our loyal customers – they are the ones who make it."

Joinery students have been building wooden gates for homes on a town's housing estate as part of a police project to tackle anti-social behaviour.

White wooden fences built by those learning the trade at Burnley College have been put up on the front porches of properties to deter people from gathering outside.

PC Chris McKee of Lancashire Police said older homeowners on the estate, the location of which has not been revealed, had been concerned about young people "gathering, drinking and smoking" outside their homes and making them feel unsafe.

He said the students efforts were a "great example of the local community coming together to tackle anti-social behaviour".

PC McKee said the force was also stepping up patrols and working with the housing provider on the estate to install extra security.

David Lord, head of construction and engineering at Burnley College, said the students were excited to be part of the project, which can be incorporated into the curriculum.

He said it had been an "ideal opportunity for them to put their skills and knowledge into action and create something which will really make a difference to the lives of others".

The project was funded by LANPAC, the Lancashire Partnership Against Crime.