Midlands Live: Breaking news and local stories

From today people can leave knives in two new bins in a knife surrender scheme that BBC Radio WM is launching with West Midlands Police.

BBCCopyright: BBC

One is at McDonald’s on Belchers Lane in Bordesley Green, Birmingham, and the other at the Cornbow Shopping Centre, Great Cornbow, Halesowen, in an initiative that is part of the radio station's Knives Cost Lives campaign.

Knives can be put in those bins and destroyed safely. Since the beginning of last March when we all started staying at home to keep each other safe from the pandemic, the radio station has reported on 16 fatal stabbings in the West Midlands.

Michael Miles, who was sent to prison for a knife attack and released in 2018, now works as an anti-knife campaigner and works with young people at risk of criminality.

Quote Message: There's a lot of kids what carry these knives nowadays and they don't carry the knives with the intention to stab somebody and then out of fear they'll pull this knife out when they get in a situation and before you know it they're pushing it into someone and by then it's too late." from Michael Miles Anti-knife campaigner

There's a lot of kids what carry these knives nowadays and they don't carry the knives with the intention to stab somebody and then out of fear they'll pull this knife out when they get in a situation and before you know it they're pushing it into someone and by then it's too late."

Hundreds of people are missing out on unclaimed council tax refunds in Coventry.

Local Democracy Reporting ServiceCopyright: Local Democracy Reporting Service

A total of 11,331 council tax refunds have been issued this financial year, with the vast majority successfully cleared.

If the council tax was paid by direct debit, the refund will usually be paid back into the bank account where payments were taken from, but 715 uncleared refunds remain, totalling £34,853.

The council said refunds not cleared will be offset against future bills if the account remains live, however refunds to closed accounts will be retained by the authority until claimed - with the onus on residents.

A spokesman said: "When the credit is generated we issue a payment to the customer by BACS, where we hold bank details, and by cheque where we do not have bank details... We currently have 87 closed accounts, where we hold no forwarding address."

Ian Rogers, chairman of Coventry Citizens Party, who submitted a Freedom of Information request, said: "The point was to help people at a time when they needed it most not offset the value against future bills."

Here are some of the stories on the Coventry Live website:

• Cruel Gumtree conman puts Coventry mum of four at risk of homelessness
• Cycle route and average speed cameras planned on major Coventry route
• Major changes at Coventry railway station as latest transformation phase gets under way

Wolves head coach Nuno has thanked fans for buying virtual tickets to help feed the city's most vulnerable.

The club are selling the tickets for this evening's Premier League game against Liverpool.

By Friday they had sold 1,000 tickets raising £60,000.

Wolves FoundationCopyright: Wolves Foundation

Quote Message: It's amazing and we cannot thank them enough because we know that it's not easy. It's a difficult moment for everybody. But there's already 1,000 (that have) been sold. We ask for more.. because each and every penny of that will go directly to persons... in Wolverhampton." from Nuno Wolves head coach

It's amazing and we cannot thank them enough because we know that it's not easy. It's a difficult moment for everybody. But there's already 1,000 (that have) been sold. We ask for more.. because each and every penny of that will go directly to persons... in Wolverhampton."

Birmingham's famous St Patrick's Day parade has been cancelled for the second year in a row because of coronavirus restrictions.

Bianca Harvey/Birmingham St Patrick's Day FestivalCopyright: Bianca Harvey/Birmingham St Patrick's Day Festival

The parade through Digbeth is the third largest in the world and would have taken place next Sunday.

Instead there will be a week of live streamed performances by cultural groups and a special video memorial service.

It's hoped the parade, which began in 1952, will return next year.

A man has been charged with murder after a teenager was fatally stabbed in Birmingham.

Jack Barry, 19, was found seriously injured in West Road, Hamstead, just after 21:45 on 7 March and died at the scene.

Family handoutCopyright: Family handout

A post-mortem examination found he died as a result of a stab wound, West Midlands Police said.

Cameron Cheshire, 18, of West Road, Great Barr, is due to appear before magistrates in Birmingham later.