Everything West Midlands Police said about man's death
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "We were called to Old Hill, Tettenhall, in Wolverhampton, just before 4am today (Friday) after a man was found lying in the road.
"Despite the best efforts of emergency services, the man, in his 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene.
"We are working to establish what happened, and are treating the death as unexplained.
"The road remains closed this morning while enquiries continue.
"Anyone with information, or who was driving in the area in the early hours of this morning and who may have dash cam footage, has been asked to get in touch via Live Chat quoting log 377."
The government is to ditch plans to scrap up to 4,000 EU laws by the end of the year after a private meeting with Brexiter MPs.
It now aims to remove 800 statutes and regulations instead of 3,700 laws it had lined up for a bonfire of EU law in December, threatening everything from passenger rights to compensation for cancelled flights, to equality employment law and environmental standards and protections.
The plan emerged after the trade secretary, Kemi Badenoch, briefed Eurosceptic MPs in the European Research Group at a meeting on Monday.
Sources have confirmed the plan discussed at that meeting to slash the number of laws targeted by the bill, which is expected to return to the House of Lords on 15 May.
However, one of the bill’s staunchest critics, Stella Creasy, the Walthamstow MP and chair of the Labour party movement for Europe, said a smouldering bonfire did nothing to address the sweeping powers the bill was giving ministers to change laws without due scrutiny.
“All those wanting to defend parliamentary sovereignty should be wary of the government using the promise not to delete vital rights now as a Trojan horse to get this legislation through parliament and then use the powers in it to destroy legislation later,” she said.
“The Retained EU law bill in its current form still seeks to use Brexit as an excuse for a ministerial power grab, which is why we will continue to work with colleagues across the house and campaigners in all quarters to protect the role MPs play in making laws from an overbearing and often unaccountable executive.”
Any climbdown on the legislation tabled by Jacob Rees Mogg as a “Brexit freedoms” bill risked angering hardline Tory Brexiters but the depth of opposition to it from business, environmental groups, unions and Brussels has left ministers with no option but to consider a full-scale delay or a scaled-down version.
A government spokesperson said: “We remain committed to ensuring the retained EU law (REUL) bill receives royal assent and that the supremacy of EU law ends with unnecessary and burdensome EU laws removed by the end of this year.
“Once passed, the bill will enable the country to further seize the opportunities of Brexit by ensuring regulations fit the needs of the UK, helping to grow our economy and drive innovation.”
Among the 800 laws on the “to save list” are the working time directive, which protects working hours and environmental legislation.
Badenoch’s plan reportedly went down “like a lead balloon” at the meeting with the ERG, but sources said she told the MPs that it was the practical solution to getting the controversial bill through this year.
Last month, the Observer revealed that the government had begun a full-scale retreat over the bill, which had been criticised not only for its attempt to sweep thousands of laws off the statute books but the “unprecedented” powers it gave ministers to update, reform or axe laws without the usual parliamentary scrutiny.
Legal experts labelled it “undemocratic” and an “invitation to litigation” while environmental groups, and trade unions launched high-profile campaigns to stop the bill, first tabled by Jacob Rees Mogg as a Brexit freedom bill.
Efforts to kill off the bill were further fuelled when it emerged there was little capacity in the civil service to scrutinise each law and draft updates or recommendations by the deadline of December.
Badenoch reportedly told MPs that civil servants had told her that the timeframe was unviable with the majority of the EU law transferred over to domestic statute books in environment and agriculture sectors where the government faced high profile concerted campaigns against their plan.
Under the bill, laws that were not actively saved or updated, would automatically face the axe on 31 December under a controversial deadline known as a “sunset clause”.
The list of laws targeted by the government includes bans on animal testing for cosmetics, passenger compensation rights for those whose flights are delayed, equal pay for men and women, and pension rights for widows of same-sex marriages.
It recently emerged that 25 groups concerned about safety standards, including the TUC and the British Safety Council and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said the government’s timetable created dangerous uncertainty.
The government approach was further undermined when it emerged that it did not have a handle on the number of laws that would be affected by the bill.
Its “dashboard” initially listed 2,000 laws, but in the last month it added another 1,700 after research at the National Archive, fuelling fears that some critical legislation could fall through the cracks and be deleted from the statute books.
A teenage girl from Devon has tragically died after a serious crash on a road just across the border in Cornwall. A man from Plymouth has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving in connection with the incident.
The collision took place shortly before 3.41pm on Thursday, April 27 on the A388 at Stoke Climsland. Sadly, a 17-year-old girl from Okehampton, who was the driver of one of the vehicles, suffered fatal injuries as a result of the crash.
A 16-year-old passenger in her car was taken to Derriford Hospital with serious life-changing injuries. Devon and Cornwall Police are investigating the incident which involved a Vauxhall Corsa and a white Ford Transit flatbed truck.
The driver of a white Ford Transit truck, a 44-year-old man from the Plymouth area, was taken to Derriford Hospital with minor injuries. After receiving treatment, he was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and was taken to Charles Cross Police Station in Plymouth for questioning.
In a statement, Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Shortly before 3.41pm on Thursday 27th April 2023 a two vehicle road traffic collision occurred on the A388 Stoke Climsland between Launceston and Callington.
"The collision involved a white Ford Transit flatbed truck driven by a 44-year-old male from the Plymouth area and a white Vauxhall Corsa driven by a 17-year-old female from the Okehampton area. Sadly, as a result of the collision the 17-year-old driver of the Corsa suffered fatal injuries. The 16-year-old front seat passenger of the Corsa sustained serious life changing injuries and was conveyed to Derriford Hospital for treatment.
"The driver of the Ford Transit suffered minor injuries and after being treated at Derriford Hospital was arrested on suspicion of Causing Death by Dangerous Driver and Causing Serious Injury by Dangerous Driving, and was taken to Charles Cross Police Station for questioning.
"Local officers as well as officers from the Roads Policing Team attended the scene and completed a forensic examination. Once completed the road was re-opened as soon as possible. Officers would like to thank the public for their patience during this time."
"Anyone who witnessed the collision or has any information, in particular dash cam footage around the time of the collision, is asked to contact Devon & Cornwall Police on 101 and quoting log reference number 568 27th April 2023."
Marelle Sturrock: Fiance wanted for murder of pregnant teacher found dead in flat
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Police searching for the fiancé of pregnant teacher Marelle Sturrock who was found dead in Glasgow have recovered a body.
The body was found following searches of Mugdock Reservoir on Thursday, Police Scotland confirmed this evening.
He is yet to be formally identified but it is believed to be David Yates, 36, the force said. Ms Sturrock, 35, was found dead at a property on Jura Street in Glasgow on Tuesday morning.
She was 29 weeks pregnant at the time of her death. Police confirmed today that her unborn baby did not survive.
The force said earlier on Thursday that David Yates was wanted in connection with Ms Sturrock’s death, adding there was “no information to suggest anyone else has been involved”.
Detective Superintendent Nicola Kilbane said: “Our thoughts are with Marelle’s family and friends, along with everyone affected by this tragedy. “We are providing her family with specialist support at this incredibly difficult time.”
Detectives find body in search for fiance of ‘murdered’ teacher
Detectives searching for a man in connection with the death of pregnant woman Marelle Sturrock in Glasgow have found a body, Police Scotland said.
The body was recovered following searches of Mugdock Reservoir on Thursday, 27 April, Police Scotland confirmed on Thursday evening.
He is yet to be formally identified but it is believed to be David Yates, 36, the force said.
David Yates was the partner of Marelle Sturrock, 35, who was found dead at her home address on Jura Street in Glasgow on Tuesday, 25 April
.David Yates was wanted in connection with the murder of Marelle Sturrock.
An investigation remains ongoing but nothing has been established so far to suggest anyone else was involved in her death.Reports will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in due course.
Headteacher at school where pregnant teacher worked says community is ‘devastated'
The headteacher at Sandwood Primary School in Glasgow where Ms Sturrock worked said the school community is “devastated”.
Fiona Donnelly said: “Marelle has been a much-loved member of our school community since her probationary year more than six years ago and has taught many year groups throughout her time at the school.
“We will all miss her so much.
“She was a lovely, kind, diligent and considerate person who loved and made time for everyone.
“Marelle used her artistic talents across the school and was our music champion who has been a key player in the success of our school choirs, with one of her classes going to see her on stage at The King’s (Theatre) in one of her many acting roles outside of school.
“We are a school community in mourning and are devasted by the tragic news of her death and pass on our deepest condolences to her family and friends as we all come to terms with our loss.”
David Yates’ car was found at Mugdock Country Park earlier this week, Police Scotland confirmed as its “extensive” search of the area continues.
Police divers and officers investigating her death have been searching for Mr Yates near Mugdock Reservoir, just outside the city in East Dunbartonshire.
In an update on Thursday, detective superintendent Nicola Kilbane said: “His vehicle, a white Seat Ateca, was found at Mugdock Country Park on Tuesday and an extensive search has been ongoing in the area since.
“The last confirmed sighting of David was on Sunday evening shortly after 8pm. His subsequent movements are unknown after his vehicle was left at Mugdock Country Park but there is nothing to suggest he has left the area. We will keep an open mind on this as we continue to search the area.
“A visible police presence will remain at both Jura Street and Mugdock Country Park as our investigation continues.”
Fiance wanted for murder of pregnant mother found dead in flat
A murder investigation has been launched into the death of a pregnant teacher in Glasgow as officers search for her fiance, Police Scotland has confirmed.
Marelle Sturrock, 35, was found dead at a property on Jura Street in Glasgow on Tuesday morning.
She was 29 weeks pregnant at the time of her death. Police confirmed today that her unborn baby did not survive.
In an update on Thursday, detective superintendent Nicola Kilbane said David Yates was wanted in connection with Marelle Sturrock’s death, adding there was “no information to suggest anyone else has been involved.”
Ms Kilbane said: “A murder investigation is ongoing in relation to the death of Marelle Sturrock, 35, at Jura Street in Glasgow.
“Officers attended her home address shortly after 8.40am on Tuesday 25 April and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Marelle was 29 weeks pregnant and I can confirm that sadly her unborn baby did not survive.
“Our thoughts are with Marelle’s family and friends, along with everyone affected by this tragedy. We are providing her family with specialist support at this incredibly difficult time.”
Divers search reservoir in hunt for fiance of pregnant teacher found dead
Police divers have been spotted scouring a reservoir as the search for the fiance of a pregnant teacher who was found dead continues.
Marelle Sturrock, 35, was found dead at a property on Jura Street in Glasgow on Tuesday morning.
Officers investigating her death have been searching for a missing man in the area of Mugdock Country Park near Milngavie, just outside the city in East Dunbartonshire.
It is understood that the man police are searching for is Ms Sturrock’s fiance, David Yates.
Police divers have been involved in the search of Mugdock reservoir, large areas of which are cordoned off with police tape, with officers standing guard.
Downing Street has accused Aslef of targeting “displaced Ukranians” attending the Eurovision Song Contest final in Liverpool with its latest round of strikes.
Number 10 hit out at the train drivers’ union over its decision to decision to strike the day before Eurovision, claiming it could mean many displaced Ukranians may miss out on being in the audience.
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), which represents train guards and ticket office staff, has announced that it will strike on the day of the contest.
Aslef said its members would now strike on May 12, May 31 and June 3 – the day of the FA Cup final at Wembley and the Epsom Derby – after rejecting the latest pay offer from rail firms.
Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman said: “It’s incredibly disappointing that Aslef has taken this action. By choosing these specific dates, they are looking to disrupt the FA Cup final – thousands of people will be impacted.
“That will also include displaced Ukrainians trying to attend Eurovision, I know there is a distinct possibility.”
The Eurovision final is being staged in Liverpool after Ukraine won it in Turin last year. Earlier this year, the Government announced that 3,000 tickets would be made available to Ukrainian refugees who had secured accommodation through the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.
Inflatable illuminated Ukrainian Song Birds are placed around Liverpool ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest
Credit: Peter Byrne/PA
The walkouts also threaten to cause chaos for tens of thousands of Manchester United and Manchester City fans travelling to the capital for the cup final, while key services between London and Surrey to get people to Epsom are likely to be hit.
The Liverpool Combined Authority said it was working with operators to understand what the impact would be on services ahead of the Eurovision final and was examining ways to reduce the impact.
Kevin Parker, the Manchester City Supporters Club general secretary, said the strikes would cause huge disruption to fans, adding: “In terms of my point of view as a supporter – and United supporters – there are some who have already booked train tickets this week, so the first issue is now looking at how they are going to get there.”
The Manchester United Supporters Trust urged the unions and the Government to get around the table and avert the strikes.
Mick Whelan, the Aslef general secretary, said: “Our executive committee met this morning [Thursday] and rejected a risible proposal we received from the RDG [Rail Delivery Group].
“We do not want to go on strike – we do not want to inconvenience passengers, we have families and friends who use the railway too, and we believe in investing in rail for the future of this country. But the blame for this action lies, fairly and squarely, at the feet of the employers who have forced our hand over this by their intransigence.”
The industrial action is likely to shut down the majority of services across the country.
Mick Lynch, the RMT general secretary, said: “The RDG have reneged on their original proposals and torpedoed these negotiations. No doubt their decision is due to pressure exerted on them by the Tory Government.
“Therefore, we have no alternative but to press ahead with more strike action and continue our campaign for a negotiated settlement on pay, conditions and job security.”
A spokesman for the RDG claimed the strike action was unnecessary and would heap more pressure on an industry already facing an acute financial crisis, adding: “After many weeks of negotiations with the Aslef leadership, we made a revised and fair offer including a pay rise of eight per cent over two years. Sadly, this has been rejected.”
Mr Sunak’s spokesman said the Rail Delivery Group offer was “fair and reasonable” and would give a rise to train drivers “whose average salary is already £60,000 a year”.
A nursing union has called off strike action planned for 2 May after it was deemed unlawful by a High Court judge.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) had called for a 48-hour strike starting at 8pm on Sunday 30 April, continuing all day on Monday 1 May, and ending at 8pm on Tuesday 2 May in a row over pay and conditions.
But Health Secretary Steve Barclay claimed the final day of the walkout was unlawful as it was due to fall outside the union's six-month mandate for industrial action, granted in November.
Judge Thomas Linden agreed with the submission from the government - with no representatives from the RCN's side present in the courtroom.
Following the legal defeat, the union's leader attacked the government for taking nurses to court rather than trying to resolve the dispute and said members would be reballoted for a new mandate.
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'What a day for nursing'
Pat Cullen, the general secretary of the RCN, said: "They [the government] have won their legal battle today. But what this has led to is they have lost nursing, and they've lost the public.
"They've taken the most trusted profession through the courts, by the least trusted people.
"And what a day for nursing. What a day for patients. And what an indictment on this government to do this to the very people that have held this NHS together, not just through the pandemic, but an NHS that has been run into the ground and in crisis, caused by this government."
Mr Barclay said: "I firmly support the right to take industrial action within the law - but the government could not stand by and let plainly unlawful strike action go ahead.
"Both the NHS and my team tried to resolve this without resorting to legal action, but unfortunately, following a request from NHS Employers, we took this step with regret to protect nurses by ensuring they are not asked to take part in an unlawful strike.
This case was cut and dried, so why did the RCN persist with it?
It should not have come to this. There was no complex legal argument. The law is inflexible and so are calendars.
The RCN mandate began on 2 November and lasted for six months. A simple calculation would have shown that 2 May falls outside this period.
NHS Employers asked the government to take this legal action. They described the nurses' action as regrettable. So to did the Health Secretary Steve Barclay. He might be expected to say that given his role in this dispute.
But High Court Judges are independent. They are not taking sides but merely enforcing the rule of law. Mr Justice Linden said the union had showed "a high degree of unreasonableness", that the outcome was "inevitable" and "instead of grasping the nettle and conceding", it had forced the case to court.
Pat Cullen did not hear him say this. She was outside the High Court with her supporters. In fact the RCN had no legal representation to make their case inside Court 15 at all. Pat Cullen instead had submitted a witness statement.
The judge said it was probably "written for a different audience" and "although she could not bring herself to say it, she probably thought the secretary of state's legal interpretation of the planned strike dates was correct."
In other words nobody expected the RCN to win in court today. So why did they persist with the court case? The strike dates were announced very quickly after the union rejected the government's pay offer. There is a timeframe for giving notice of intended industrial action so that would have added to the pressure.
Once the dates were announced and after the possibility of illegality was raised maybe the RCN decided it was too late to back down. It certainly helped to play into the RCN's narrative of nurses standing up to a "bullying government".
The RCN has been ordered to pay court costs. Money it could have used to top up its strike funds as there seems no end in sight to this increasingly bitter fight.
"We welcome the decision of the High Court that the Royal College of Nursing's planned strike on 2 May is illegal.
"The government wants to continue working constructively with the Royal College of Nursing, as was the case when we agreed the pay offer that was endorsed by their leadership. We now call on them to do the right thing by patients and agree derogations for their strike action on 30 April and 1 May."
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's official spokesman said it was "regrettable" that court action was needed.
He said: "Late yesterday, Steve Barclay wrote to the RCN, to Pat Cullen again, and asked them to call off their final day of the strike given we were confident that it was not legal, they refused again."
Image:Health Secretary Steve Barclay
RCN members rejected a deal earlier this month which would have seen them given a one-off payment of 2% of their salary, plus a COVID recovery bonus of 4% for the current financial year and 5% for the year after.
This was despite a recommendation from the union's leaders that the deal be accepted.
Waving placards and acknowledging the car horns sounding from passing motorists, teachers were gathered outside many of Derby's main secondary schools - Allestree Woodlands, Bemrose School, Chellaston Academy, Lees Brook Academy, Littleover Community School, St Benedict Catholic Academy and Landau Forte College. Schools from the north of the county in Glossop and Chesterfield to the south in the Swadlincote area also took part in the action.
Once again it has meant thousands of pupils, particularly those in the year groups seven to 10 have found themselves at home studying online if lessons have been provided and if they have access to computers. Secondary schools with limited staff numbers have concentrated on trying to hold classes in person for essential year groups 11 and 13, who are about to take their crucial GCSE and A-level results, respectively.
Teachers on the picket line at Bemrose School were in a defiant mood saying they would continue striking as long as it takes to “get an offer from the Government in line with inflation and fully funded”. Mollie Selby, who teaches geography and sociology, said that teachers in England could not understand why they had been offered less money than their counterparts in Scotland and Wales.
She said: “Are we worth less - we came into this profession to teach children and protect them and the way we have been treated is insulting. We want any pay offer to not come from school funds or there is no point.”
RE teacher Hannah Saul added: “Support for this strike is growing. We have more and different teachers on the picket line and also more parents are behind us contrary to what is being said in the media.
"We need the tools to teach and funding needs to improve in schools so we can do our jobs properly. It’s a hard decision to strike but one we feel we have to do.”
The blame for the strike situation is being laid by NEU bosses at the door of Education Secretary Gillian Keegan. They claim the issue is far wider than pay. Nick Raine, NEU senior regional officer, said: "She is failing to address the multiple problems damaging our children's education - around teacher recruitment and retention problems, and inadequate school funding.
"She is refusing to return to the negotiating table. It is this inaction, this silence which has left NEU teacher members in England’s schools and sixth form colleges to reluctantly take two more days of national strike action."
Unions want above-inflation increases, plus extra money to ensure any pay rises do not come from schools' existing budgets. Most state school teachers in England had a 5% pay rise last year. The independent pay review body has recommended a 3% rise from this September.
After the February strike, the Government made a new pay offer for school teachers, which included a £1,000 one-off payment and a 4.3% pay rise for most staff in September. The starting salary for teachers in England is also due to rise to £30,000 a year by September.
The Department for Education described it as a "fair and reasonable offer" and said that schools would receive an extra £2.3bn over the next two years.
But all four unions involved in the dispute rejected the offer, including the NEU, said it was still not fully funded, meaning schools would have had to make cuts elsewhere to afford it. Ms Keegan has said that the offer is no longer on the table, so the decision will now be made by the independent pay review body.
Once the picket line duty was over, teachers were heading for a regional rally starting at The Spot in Derby and marching to Cathedral Green for speakers, stalls, music and food.
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