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New cameras are set to be installed across speeding hot spots in the West Midlands.

A deal has been reached by West Midlands Police, the Police and Crime Commissioner and West Midlands Combined Authority to help target more speeding drivers.

The Joint Working Agreement will aim to help the bodies reach their targets to halve the number of deaths and serious injuries on the roads by 2030 to zero by 2040.

The agreement will be discussed by members of the WMCA's Transport Delivery Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 6 May.

Mat MacDonald, West Midlands Road Safety Commissioner, said average speed enforcement is a "critical tool" in getting the most dangerous drivers off the roads.

He said: "Rolling this technology out will without a doubt prevent collisions, save lives and make journeys less dangerous for everyone who uses our road network."

'More fines issued'

The new agreement will enable:

• New cameras to be installed in the places where the risk of death or serious injury on roads is greatest

• Cameras to be better maintained

• Better use of existing cameras

• Other types of camera enforcement, such as "spot cameras" that use the latest technology to more easily capture images of speeding cars, and red-light cameras

• More fines to be issued which leads to more drivers going on speed awareness courses, to encourage more people to stay within the speed limit

Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker, said the scheme will help bring more offenders to justice.

"It's a tragedy that so many lives are lost on our roads each year – the impact on victims' families is truly heartbreaking," he said.

"Unfortunately, speeding and dangerous driving is blighting our region which is why we are cracking down on those who are determined to use our streets as a racetrack."

A 120-year-old plane tree in north London, which has been under threat of being felled for the past three years, is once again facing the axe.

Haringey Council says the tree on Oakfield Road, Stroud Green, needs to be removed as it is causing damage to nearby properties. The council has given residents until 17 June to respond to its notice.

Dr Gio Iozzi, who is among those fighting to save it, said: "It feels like the tree is still the fall guy in this situation and it is just morally, ethically, environmentally wrong."

"This healthy tree has been implicated in damage… it has been blamed for all the other factors that contribute to subsidence in houses," she added.

She told BBC London that insurers had recently agreed to finally pay for the work on the two houses affected by subsidence, meaning there was "no need to fell this tree".

Dr Iozzi added: "There is no rationale now for the council to want to fell the tree and yet they're intending to push forwards with felling this tree.

"We feel like this is madness, we need these big canopy trees they are so important for our health, our lungs."

In its consultation, the council said the tree had "contributed to tree root damage to the adjacent properties, pruning was unsuccessful, and movement of the properties has continued".

But environmental campaign group Haringey Tree Protectors told the Local Democracy Reporting Service these claims were unsubstantiated.

It has urged people to send in their views so the council can "understand how the public feel about protecting their mature street trees".

Dr Iozzi said poor foundations, clay soil movement, droughts or floods could also be contributing to issues with the homes' foundations and she believed there was not enough evidence to support the tree's removal.

"Trees should not be felled just in case there is the potential of damage to houses in the future," she said.

"If this logic is followed, all trees in Haringey would need to be felled just in case."

Local resident Andrew Brenner, who lives opposite the tree, told BBC London: "If you take down a tree on the off-chance that it's going to cause a problem in the future, that could lead to every single tree on every tree-lined street in London being taken out.

"I think it's a real risk that we're going to lose lots of trees for no reason except that it's to prevent some future possible problem."

A Haringey Council spokesperson said it was undertaking the latest consultation in view of new statutory requirements that had come into force.

"Our proposal is based on consideration of the evidence submitted on behalf of the owners of the properties," the spokesperson added.

They said the council would consider all feedback before making a final decision.

The fountains in Hull's Queen Victoria Square will remain closed after further faults and concerns over water quality were discovered, the council has confirmed.

The water feature has been closed since May 2023 and is fenced off behind a metal barrier.

Gillian Osgerby, a senior officer at Hull City Council, said issues with the internal mechanism, which "can affect water quality", had been discovered during repair works.

"Despite our best efforts to reopen the fountains, we will not do so until the issues have been fully resolved, and the water quality is satisfactory," she said.

The fountains were installed as part of a £28m regeneration scheme to mark Hull's year as UK City of Culture in 2017.

Ms Osgerby, the interim assistant director for major projects and infrastructure, apologised to residents and said further tests would be carried out to ensure the fountains are safe.

"While we understand this is disappointing, public safety is our top priority," she added.

Emma Hardy, the MP for Hull West and Haltemprice, has expressed her frustration at the ongoing closure of the fountains

On Monday, she told BBC Radio Humberside: "I was there the other day, the area is fenced off, it's not clean and it makes the city centre look a mess.

"We want people to come to the city, visit the shops and museums and having the fountains in the state they are will put people off."

Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Soundslatest episode of Look North here.

A city council has agreed to adopt an Islamophobia statement in a bid to support Muslim communities in the area.

Officers at Peterborough City Council were asked to draft the statement following a motion at full council in June 2022.

The statement includes a definition of Islamophobia and sets out some of the ways Muslims are impacted by it.

Councillor Samantha Hemraj, who introduced the item at full council on Monday, said: "The council has been working closely with the joint mosque committee, local schools, the police and health providers."

She said Islamophobia could have a "serious" impact in Muslim communities.

"The Islamophobia statement demonstrates a council commitment to supporting Muslim communities and fits alongside broader anti-racism policies and statements," she said.

The authority said it would encourage organisations and businesses it works with to adopt the statement and commit to "tackling the prejudice and disadvantage that Muslims can face".

The city has a growing Muslim population.

According to the last census in 2021, 12.2% of people living in Peterborough described themselves as Muslim, compared with the average of 6.7% across England.

Abdul Choudhuri, chair of the Joint Mosques Council Peterborough, said he was "absolutely delighted" with the decision to adopt the statement.

He said: "It is now very clear so everybody is aware of what Islamophobia is and we need to work it out together how to eradicate the hate and Islamophobia.

"It's what I call a stepping stone in the right direction."

Police searching for a 91-year-old man who went missing two months ago have recovered a body.

Fraser Tuddenham, from the Huntington area of York, had not been seen since he was believed to have gone out for a walk on 14 February.

A dog walker found a body at Strensall Common nature reserve on Saturday, where the majority of search activity had been focused.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: "This is a very sad development, and our thoughts are with Mr Tuddenham's family and friends at this difficult time. We are grateful to everyone who assisted in the search."

Afternoon routine GP appointments have been suspended at three practices as doctors attend training sessions.

No consultations will be available between 12:30 and 18:00 BST at the Isle of Man's Ballasalla, Castletown and Southern Practices.

The training was previously scheduled for early April, but had to be rescheduled due to "unforeseen circumstances".

Manx Care said anyone who needed a doctor urgently should ring their surgery to speak to an on-call GP, or dial 999 in an emergency.

However the practices would remain open to make future routine appointments, request test results or order repeat prescriptions.

The healthcare provider said the Manx Emergency Doctor Service (MEDS) will also operate as usual from 18:00.

Other medical services available include the minor injuries and illnesses unit at Ramsey Cottage Hospital, the minor ailments scheme run by community pharmacies and Specsavers' minor eye conditions scheme.

Manx Care encouraged residents to "choose well" during the period and "attend the health and care setting that is appropriate for their condition".

Three people have been rescued in two incidents off the East Yorkshire coast.

A man was rescued by a lifeboat crew after he drifted about a mile (about 1.5km) out to sea on a small inflatable dinghy off Barmston.

It followed an incident on Friday when two walkers were cut off by the tide at the base of a cliff in Skipsea.

HM Coastguard, Bridlington RNLI's inshore lifeboat and Humberside Police responded to the emergencies.

The Sunday rescue saw the RNLI respond to reports that the man in a dinghy was unable to make it back to shore due to a strong breeze.

Coastguard officers helped the crew find him.

Matt Johnson, deputy station officer for Bridlington Coastguard, said: "This incident highlights how important strong working relationships are between our teams. This incident could have ended very differently."

During Friday's rescue, a police officer was lowered to assess the walkers' wellbeing before they were lifted to safety by the Coastguard.

A Coastguard spokesperson aid: "The seamless co-ordination between our teams and Humberside Police allowed us to bring two people to safety efficiently and safely.

"We're proud of the professionalism shown by all involved."

Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Soundslatest episode of Look North here.

A member of a prolific gang of burglars behind a multimillion-pound crime spree has been ordered to pay back just £1, a court has ruled.

Adam Shakespeare, 31, and four others stole tonnes of metal and vehicles from across the West Midlands, leaving a lewd image with the message "Merry Christmas" on the floor at one firm.

The men, who called themselves The Sticky Bandits – a reference to the Home Alone 2 film – were jailed in November at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

At the same court on Tuesday, Shakespeare, from Wolverhampton, was said to have benefited from the crimes to the extent of more than £1.15m, but was said to have no funds to pay anything back and was ordered to pay a nominal £1.

David Williams, 44, and of Willenhall Road in the city, was said to have benefited from more than £1m and had an available amount of £332, which he was ordered to pay within 56 days.

A third defendant, David Smith, 36 and of Cannock Road in Wolverhampton, was also said to have benefited from more than £1m and had a total of £1,057 available to pay it off, but £1,047 had been confiscated by the police.

The two other gang members – Royston Hallard, 30 and of Coronation Road, and Lee Fletcher, 33 and of Bunkers Hill Lane, both in Wolverhampton – had their cases adjourned until next month.

West Midlands Police said the gang chose quieter sites and struck at Christmas, like their namesakes in the Home Alone film.

They stole and used vehicles to take the material to an industrial unit in Wolverhampton before likely selling on to scrap dealers.

The total loss of materials and vehicles was £1.6m, with the damage caused estimated at £200,000, and loss of sales, the cost of improving security and increased insurance premiums amounting to more than £800,000, the force said.

Videos recovered from some of the many phones used by the gang showed how they "relished what they were doing and would laugh and joke with each other", detectives said.

The gang members were jailed for between six and three years after admitting conspiracy to burgle commercial premises.

A man has died after two cars collided on a country road in East Yorkshire.

Humberside Police said the black Ford Focus and black MG3 were involved in the crash on Beverley Road near Whitedale on Thursday 29 May.

The driver of the Focus, aged 76, died in hospital from his injuries on Friday 6 June.

The collision happened between New Ellerby and Great Hatfield at around 19:00 BST. Officers are trying to establish the circumstances and have appealed for witnesses or anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage to contact them.

Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Soundslatest episode of Look North here.

A 31-year-old man has died following a single-vehicle crash.

Emergency services were called to the A417 Brockworth bypass in Gloucestershire at about 17:30 BST on Tuesday to reports of an incident involving a motorcycle.

The victim, from Swindon, was taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol but later died, police said. His next of kin and the coroner have been informed.

Road closures were in place overnight, with the route reopening at 05:20 on Wednesday. Police are appealing for anybody who witnessed a black Honda CBR bike in the lead up to the crash to contact them.