Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 GMT 4 February 2016
Live updates for Herefordshire and Worcestershire have finished for the day but we'll be back from 08:00 on Friday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather.
Summary
Updates on Thursday 4 February 2016
News, sport, travel and weather updates to resume at 08:00 on Friday
Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 GMT 4 February 2016
Video: Warriors' squad needs to be 'mentally strong' for the rest of the seasonpublished at 17:58
Trevor Owens
Sports Editor, BBC Hereford & WorcesterWorcester Warriors’ experienced forward, Phil Dowson, says the squad will need to be mentally strong over this block of 10 Aviva Premiership matches.
Media caption, Warriors' squad needs to be 'mentally strong'
Warriors face an important match at fellow strugglers London Irish on Sunday, 7 February and Dowson recognises both clubs will be viewing this game as a good chance to pick up points.
He says they will need to manage any pressure in such a way that it doesn’t affect their performances on the field as ultimately this is what will keep them in the Premiership.
Football: Bulls pick up the Team of the Month awardpublished at 17:53
Hereford FC have been named the Midland Football League's Team of the Month for the third time this season.
Image source, EmpicsPoor weather meant this award covered both December and January as some clubs didn't play a match in the run up to Christmas.
Hereford are 10 points clear at the top of the table and are also in the last 16 of the FA Vase, in which they face a trip to Hartley Wintney on Saturday, 6 February.
'World record' disqualified driver faces prisonpublished at 17:48
A Hereford man branded as having the "world record for driving while disqualified" with 40 offences to his name has been told he could go to prison, external.
Basketball: Wolves freeze ticket prices for 2016-17 seasonpublished at 17:42
Worcester Wolves have announced there is to be no price rise for either match-day or season tickets for the 2016-17 BBL season.
Image source, Ville ViorinenThis will be the third successive year the Wolves have opted to hold the prices for all categories of spectators.
The club is also offering fans an early opportunity to purchase season tickets at a discounted rate if they are purchased before 31 May 2016.
Amputee Atlantic rowers raise more than £26,000published at 17:30 GMT 4 February 2016
The all-amputee Row2Recovery team, external completed their Atlantic crossing (see graphic) to raise funds and awareness for the military wounded and injured.
As they crossed the line the total raised stood at more than £26,400.
Weather video: Mostly dry but the odd shower where cloud is the thickestpublished at 17:20 GMT 4 February 2016
Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands TodayIt will be mostly dry but cloudy tonight. Where the cloud is thickest there'll be odd spots of rain overnight but there'll be some clear spells developing by dawn. Lows of 10C (50F).
First amputee crew completes row across the Atlanticpublished at 17:11 GMT 4 February 2016
Nigel Rogoff, who's part of the first team of amputees to row the Atlantic, had to follow some very strict rules, external.
- Each team had to carry all necessary food, cooking gas, medical kit, and safety equipment for the entire crossing
- All drinking water had to be produced using a watermaker from sea water
- All packaging and refuse produced by the crew had to be kept on board and not thrown into the sea
Image source, Ben DuffyThe 56-year-old (third from left in the picture) from Hereford set off from the Canary Islands on 20 December.
Latest: Atlantic crossing by Hereford amputee; cost of taxi licence may rise to cover additional safety checkspublished at 17:04 GMT 4 February 2016
Here are some of the main stories we are looking at in Herefordshire and Worcestershire:
- Amputee rower completes record crossing of the Atlantic
- Fifteen men from Herefordshire and Worcestershire have contacted a child protection charity helpline to get help with their attraction to sexual images of children
- Cost of a taxi licence in Worcester could rise to cover cost of extra safety checks
Your photos: Early blooming flowerspublished at 16:53 GMT 4 February 2016
Jerry Chester
BBC News OnlineThe mild winter means many plants are flowering early - Michelle Cleaver took these pictures in Cripplegate Park in Worcester, and says last year she had to wait until 8 March to snap the same blooms.
I'd love to see your pictures - you can email, tweet us on @bbchw, external or message via Facebook, external.
Image source, Michelle Cleaver
Image source, Michelle CleaverTaxi licence cost to rise to cover extra safety checkspublished at 16:40 GMT 4 February 2016
The cost to licence a taxi in Worcester could be going up by £25 a year.
It's because the city council want to test all vehicles every six months to improve safety after an "above average" number of licensed cabs failed the current annual test.
Amputee Atlantic row: Facts and figurespublished at 16:26 GMT 4 February 2016
Nigel Rogoff, and the other three amputee rowers, will have:
- Rowed 3,000 miles (4,800km)
- Burned about 8,000 calories a day
- Spent almost 50 days at sea
Image source, Row2RecoveryPrice rises across dozens of car parks in Herefordshirepublished at 16:14 GMT 4 February 2016
Motorists face an eye-watering £13 charge if they want to leave their vehicle for the day, external in any one of four Hereford car parks.
Amputee Atlantic rowers complete crossingpublished at 16:02 GMT 4 February 2016
A team of four amputee rowers, including a 59-year-old Hereford man, have completed their row across the Atlantic.
Image source, Ben DuffyNigel Rogoff lost his leg while taking part in an RAF parachuting display.
The crew came in eighth out of all the boats taking part in the Atlantic Challenge, and started their row on 20 December.
'No cuts to front-line services' promise by councilpublished at 15:46 GMT 4 February 2016
Essential front-line services will not be reduced over the next four years as a way of dealing with government funding cuts, Wychavon District Council has said.
The council's executive board last night decided it would fill the £1.1m gap in the authority’s budget by the 2020-21 financial year through savings and a "small increase in council tax".
The council says more than £4m has already been saved since 2013 though its Grow, Save, Charge plan.
Quote MessageDuring the extensive consultation we carried out on our strategy residents told us they would accept a small increase in council tax in return for protecting services. We’ve listened to them and the proposed increase amounts to less than 10p a week for the average household.
Linda Robinson, Leader of Wychavon District Council
County Hall's Conservative leadership backs £322m budgetpublished at 15:41 GMT 4 February 2016
Under-fire Government ministers have delayed their funding to councils by another week, external - sparking hope of a last-gasp helping hand, it emerged today.
Travel: Bromsgrove road closed for urgent sewer repairspublished at 15:14 GMT 4 February 2016
The work on Birmingham Road will take almost a fortnight.
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End of X postLatest: Industrial unit fire probably not caused by woodburner and safety checks may be stepped up on taxispublished at 15:00 GMT 4 February 2016
Here are some of the main stories we are looking at in Herefordshire and Worcestershire:
- Fire service says industrial unit blaze was probably not caused by a wood burning stove as first thought
- Safety checks on taxis may be stepped up after an 'above average' number of test failures
- A Hereford man and his crew are closing in on the finish line as they attempt become the first all-amputee team to row unaided across the Atlantic
Investigation team look for cause of industrial estate firepublished at 14:45 GMT 4 February 2016
An investigation team is looking into the cause of what's been described as a severe fire on an industrial estate in Ross-on-Wye, the fire service says.
Image source, Hereford and Worcester Fire & Rescue ServiceOver 40 firefighters and six fire engines, including one from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, tackled the large fire at the Haigh industrial estate off Alton Road.
Image source, Hereford and Worcester Fire & Rescue ServiceWest Mercia has the biggest increase in the number of police officerspublished at 14:24 GMT 4 February 2016
Official figures show the West Mercia force has seen the highest increase in police officer numbers nationwide over the last year.
The Home Office has published new statistics which show an 8.9% increase in the number of officers serving Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin, between September 2014 and September 2015.
Almost every other force across England and Wales saw a reduction in officer numbers during the same time period, the force say.
Quote MessageIt has been a painful period of cuts for forces everywhere in recent years, and we have had to save almost £37m here in West Mercia, but we have maintained a real focus on the things that matter to people, and using our resources as best we can."
Bill Longmore, West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner
