Latest news with #Warwickshire
BBC News
4 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Khurram's 6-42 puts Pears in charge against Bears
Rothesay County Championship Division One, Edgbaston (day two)Worcestershire 333: Brookes 140; Barnard 2-47 & 31-0Warwickshire 184: Smith 68; Khurram 6-42Worcestershire (5 pts) lead Warwickshire (3 pts) by 180 runsMatch scorecard Ethan Brookes' dazzling century and Khurram Shahzad's dynamic six-for left Worcestershire pressing for a much-needed County Championship win over Warwickshire at career-best 140 against the club that released him lifted Worcestershire's first innings to 333 before Shahzad took 6-42 to send the home side all out for 184. Kai Smith struck 68 and Beau Webster 57 to narrowly avert the follow on but Worcestershire closed the second day on 31 without loss, 180 of Division One, Brett D'Oliveira's side is strongly-placed to complete a victory that would open the survival race right up – and have nerves jangling at a few clubs above resumed on the second morning on 262-8 with Brookes on 80 and the 24-year-old showed no nerves en-route to a poignant century at his former home ground. His century, warmly applauded by supporters of both teams, was reached with a six and he went on to strike eight sixes – the second most in an innings by a Worcestershire batter, behind only Graeme Hick's 11 against Somerset at Taunton in and Adam Finch added 88 before the former fell at the end of a strange Dan Mousley over which included four off-side wides, two leg-side sixes, a dot ball and a wicket. Brookes eventually skied the spinner and, two balls later, Finch fell lbw to Tazeem top order was then blown away by Shahzad's opening burst of 6-2-7-3. Rob Yates left one that knocked out off-stump, Mousley edged behind and Alex Davies dragged on a pull to bag a 25-ball had Zen Malik caught at first slip and when Ed Barnard offered Finch the simplest return catch in this fixture since John Cuffe dismissed Billy Quaife at Dudley in 1912, it was and Smith added 49 but the former's attempt to bully debutant spinner Bertie Foreman backfired when he chipped to mid off. After Corey Rocchiccioli pulled Shahzad to deep square and Bamber was lbw, Warwickshire's last two wickets needed to find 31 to avoid the follow calmly and capably ensured they did. He reached an 88-ball half-century with a six pulled off Ben Allison and showed a selectivity of stroke which some of his more experienced team-mates might seek to emulate in the second follow on avoided by one run, Smith nicked a waft at Finch and Olly Hannon-Dalby drove a full toss to extra cover four balls later. That left Worcestershire 17 overs batting and they quietly increased their advantage - and their chances of recording a first championship win over Warwickshire in 22 attempts since 2000 and their first at Edgbaston since 1993. Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
Warwickshire man one of twelve charged with child sex offences
Twelve men have been charged in connection with child sex said the alleged offences involved a female victim aged between 11 and 14 years old, and were reported to have taken place in locations including Warwickshire, Yorkshire and Darlington between 2018 and 12 men, all aged between 20 and 30, were postally requisitioned to face charges last week, Warwickshire Police will appear at Leamington Magistrates' Court on 29 August. The people charged are:Teddy Jones, 23, of Smorrall Lane, Bedworth, charged with sexual exploitation of a child, possession and distribution of indecent images of childrenMichael Wilshire, 23, of Mile Tree Lane, Coventry, charged with sexual exploitation of a childWilliam Evans, 23, of Long Lane, Walsall, charged with sexual exploitation of a childJohn Jenkins, 22, of Lime Lane, Walsall, charged with rape of a childHenry Brazil, 22, of Hessam Heights, Morecambe, charged with sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of indecent images of childrenJack Forrest, 21, of Shilton Lane, Coventry, charged with rape of a child and sexual activity with a childBilly Maguire, 20, of Treswell Cottnum Road, Tresswell, charged with rape of a child and sexual activity with a childGeorge Flannigan, 21, of The Mead, Darlington, charged with rape of a child under 13 and distribution of indecent images of childrenLouis Gaskin, 22, of Windmill Lane, Balsall Common, charged with possession of indecent images of childrenHenry Gaskin, 20, of Measham Road, Oakthorne, Swadlincote, charged with possession of indecent images of childrenCharlie Lee, 30, of Mile Tree Lane, Coventry, charged with possession and distribution of indecent images of childrenRichard Lee, 22, of Westbourne Grove, Selby, North Yorkshire, charged with possession of indecent images of children Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Warwickshire Pride guide: What you need to know about Leamington event
Thousands of people are expected to come together to celebrate Pride next Pride returns to the Pump Room Gardens in Leamington Spa on 16 off with a parade through the town, the free festival will feature live performances, music and entertainment, as well as a "rainbow marketplace" of stalls, tents and fairground said it was a "colourful celebration of LGBT+ life and culture" and was free for all to attend. When is Warwickshire Pride? The family-friendly festival will take place on 16 will run between 11:00 and 18:00 BST. How much does it cost? Warwickshire Pride, which is run by a charity of the same name, is free to said the event costs over £25,000 to put on, with costs rising each year."We believe in Pride celebrations being free for all people to enjoy," they added. Who is on the line-up? Hiphop group Big Brovas and dance act Booty Luv will headline this year's festival, organisers have performers and speakers set to take to the stage throughout the day include event hosts, Sassi Afrika and Anita will perform between 11:30 BST and 18:00 BST, with a full schedule published in the festival event will also feature dozens of stalls and tents and also includes a fairground and a dog show, which will take place at the is also a dedicated family area, organisers added. When is the Pride March happening? This year's Pride March sets off at 11:00 BST on Beauchamp Road and is expected to last no longer than half an march will turn onto Clarendon Avenue, the Parade and then Dormer Place, before finishing at the main stage in the Pump Room who want to participate have been advised to assemble before 10:45 who wish to take part in the march must register in advance, the event organisers march would be fully accessible and stewards will also be on hand to assist anyone who needed help, they added. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
14 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Teenage Warwickshire council leader George Finch 'wanted to teach'
George Finch had planned to be at university studying to become a history at the of 19, he has become the youngest council leader in the UK, running Warwickshire County Council with a budget of £ Reform UK councillor still lives at his family home and cannot yet drive. Facts which have led to jibes in public and private from some opposition became the largest party on the previously Conservative-led authority with 23 seats in May's local elections. Speaking exclusively to the BBC, he hit back at criticism about his lack of life and professional experience – labelling those turning their noses up at his appointment as "ageist" and "not relevant".Sitting down in the leader's office, shortly after scraping through a leadership vote at the council's Shire Hall headquarters, Finch called out his said: "All I see is age… I don't care about my age. Would people be questioning if there was a 70-year-old at the helm? Probably not."Joe Biden, Donald Trump, presidents that are older – no-one questions it. But they're questioning someone who is 19." But leading a £2bn organisation is not a typical job for a 19-year-old, and Finch admitted he had had other plans."I wanted to be a history teacher. I loved history and I loved teaching but the problem was the curriculum, especially history. Universities and colleges are a conveyor belt for socialist wokeism."Finch said he had been inspired by Reform and former Conservative MP Lee Anderson, who has previously criticised educational establishments for what he perceives as teachers pushing "dog whistle divisive politics" on April, National Education Union members called for funds to be used to help campaign against Reform UK candidates. The organisation, Britain's biggest teaching union, branded Reform UK "a racist and far right" party. In his time as interim leader, Finch said he had used his new "influence" over education by calling Anjit Samra, CEO of Stowe Valley Multi-Academy Trust, to his office after a row over a union jack dress at Bilton School, in Rugby."I don't have the power to tell him what to do as he's an academy, but I do have that influence. "I asked him simple, I said 'I would like to see, and I think it's in your best interests, if you have a school assembly on the importance of British culture'."Asked what his friends made of his new job, he said: "They love it, when I have to go to the pub I don't have to buy a pint." But why did Reform appeal to him and why is it gaining momentum with some young people?"People can't afford homes, they can't have a car, postgraduate jobs are decreasing. It's getting harder for us to see a good future, a better future. And with Reform UK, that's what gives people that hope."He said he thought his appointment would probably help attract people to the party."It shows that anyone can do anything in this party, if you're up to the task. If you've got that merit-based system - and that's where we've gone wrong for far too long in the private and public sector."He added: "It's 'oh, here's a job because of your skin colour or your creed or your religion'. No, you get the job because you're good at it." A keen rugby player, Finch is used to battling on the pitch. But it was in the corridors of power where he faced his first public fight, in a row with the council's chief executive Monica Fogarty, after he asked for a Progress Pride Flag to be removed from outside Shire Hall in UK leader Nigel Farage even waded into the row calling out what he perceived as "obstructionism" by council officials saying "Warwickshire is a very, very good example".Asked if he could work with the council chief executive and other officers, Finch said: "We have done. We have to have that professional working relationship."Pushed on whether it was professional to publicly call out the council's chief executive, he said: "We're working together, the council is running. I think you're looking too deep into this." Talking about his priorities for Warwickshire over the coming months and years, Finch said having a sister with special educational needs and disabilities meant he had a keen interest in the area which has been labelled a financial threat to the future of the has pledged to cut wasteful spending and improve the efficiency of the councils it runs. But some of its spending decisions have faced criticism, while opponents say there has been little concrete action to reduce Warwickshire, opposition parties have criticised Finch and his party for planning to hire political assistants at a cost of up to £190,000 a year, saying the money should be spent on front-line services contentious area is the potential scrapping of lower-level councils as part of the Labour government's devolution said he wanted to look at these ideas in his county and he would like to see areas such as Nuneaton and Bedworth given their own town councils.
The Independent
15 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Row as Reform councillors back spending £150,000 on political advisers
Reform UK councillors have come under fire over plans to spend £150,000 on political advisers despite vowing to cut costs. George Finch, the 19-year-old leader of Warwickshire county council, put forward the plans, which were narrowly approved, on Tuesday. The money would pay for publicly funded political advisers for Reform and the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, the two next largest parties on the council. Despite losing a vote over climate change, Reform pushed through the £150,000 spending plans. Green councillor Sam Jones told The Guardian: 'Reform have had a sniff of power, they're making it so clear that they never cared a jot for the will of their supporters. No to overpaid, unelected bureaucrats before the election, but yes to up to £150,000 of unfunded spending on political assistants now the campaigning is over.' And Lib Dem councillor George Cowcher said: 'These proposals are all about spending some money so they can have a chum in their group and I think that is not particularly helpful given the financial state of this council.' The spending plans come after Reform's success in the May local elections, during which it campaigned on a promise of cutting costs and boosting efficiency. It has copied Elon Musk and Donald Trump 's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) unit, sending teams of software engineers and data analysts into local authorities to identify wasteful spending. Reform's Doge unit is led by former party chairman Zia Yusuf, who quit and then returned to a prominent role in the party after 48 hours following a row over calls to ban the burqa. Sending the Doge unit into Kent county council last month, Mr Yusuf said: 'For too long British taxpayers have watched their money vanish into a black hole. 'Their taxes keep going up, their bin collections keep getting less frequent, potholes remain unfixed, their local services keep getting cut. Reform won a historic victory on a mandate to change this. 'As promised, we have created a UK Doge to identify and cut wasteful spending of taxpayer money. Our team will use cutting-edge technology and deliver real value for voters.' The row over political advisers at Warwickshire county council threatens to undermine the party's promise to ruthlessly cut costs and save local taxpayers' cash. Mr Finch defended the plans, challenging councillors who opposed not to take advantage of the funding. Mr Finch took over Warwickshire county council temporarily after the previous council leader, also a member of Reform, resigned just weeks after being elected. On Tuesday he was voted in as the leader of Warwickshire County Council, which has £1.5bn of assets and a budget of around £500m.
