Omicron detected in the West Midlands

Cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 have now been confirmed in the West Midlands. Sandwell Council said the infection was detected early, so those infected were already self-isolating before the variant was confirmed. Cases have also been detected in Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Telford.

Arthur Labinjo Hughes was murdered by his stepmother Emma Tustin

Prime Minister calls for a review into the sentences of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes’ killers

Boris Johnson has called for a review into the sentences of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes’ killers. He says this should be completed “as a matter of urgency” and paid condolences to the boys family. A review is also taking place to see what improvements are needed by authorities which came into contact with Arthur prior to his murder.

FILE PICTURE - A beggar on the streets of a British city. Beggars pretending to be homeless in a city suburb are pocketing up to £100 a DAY on top of their benefits, it has been revealed. See SWNS story SWMDbeggars. Conmen are posing as rough sleepers in the Bearwood area of Birmingham to scrounge cash from kind-hearted members of the public. Lowlife tricksters are targeting the up-and-coming area of the city and are embroiled in turf wars over the best 'pitches' to beg from. One councillor said some of them are coining in up to £100 a day, often to buy drugs, by preying on people's generosity. It means they are raking in £22,000 a year - more than some employees who work in the shops, bars and restaurants based in the vibrant suburb.

Number of homeless deaths in Birmingham almost twice as high as the national average

Figures have been released which show that 21 homeless people died on the streets of Birmingham in 2020. The rate of death among homeless people in Birmingham is almost twice as high as the national average, with 159 estimated deaths between 2013 and 2020.

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Prime Minister calls for a review into the sentences of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes’ killers and other news updates