Keir Starmer’s Chief of Staff Resigns after Ambassadorial Row – NATIONAL NEWS
Downing Street officials were aware of Lord Mandelson’s continuing friendship with Epstein, even after Epstein had been convicted of child sex offences. Subsequent disclosures about the relationship between the two men have intensified pressure on the Prime Minister. Mr McSweeney has issued a resignation letter, which has been circulated among MPs and party officials, setting out his reasons for stepping aside. He said: “The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself’
Source: Coventry Observer
The Myton Hospices receives its biggest gift to date
Nationwide Windows and Doors recently donated both time and materials to complete a major improvement project at Warwick Myton Hospice. The work involved replacing patio doors and windows in 14 inpatient rooms, along with additional Doors and windows across the Inpatient Unit. The project, which would have cost around £40,000, was completed entirely free of charge, making it the largest gift in kind of its type ever received by Myton.
Source: Coventry Observer
Patients asked to ‘only order what you need’ when requesting repeat prescriptions
NHS in Coventry and Warwickshire has launched a new medicine waste campaign. Aimed at reducing the number of medicines prescribed unnecessarily. Estimated 1.6million items of medicine are wasted in the region each year. £13.3million lost each year to medicines waste is enough to pay for 2,300 knee replacements, 39,000 rounds of chemotherapy, or 345,000 GP appointments.
Source: Coventry Observer
Coventry Hospital Radio shortlisted for national award
Coventry Hospital Radio has been shortlisted for the Best Station Promotion award for its on-air promotions. The awards ceremony will take place on Saturday March 21 in Bolton, celebrating the exceptional standards demonstrated by hospital radio stations across the country. This year’s ceremony also celebrates 100 years of hospital radio. The station broadcasts for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week inside the University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.
Source: Coventry Observer
Very Light Rail technology discussed at meeting
The 800m route will operate in a live traffic environment along Park Road and Mile Lane. The trackbed is just 30cm deep compared to those used on systems like the Midland Metro which are more than three times the size. The council owns the rights to the revolutionary trackbed – the universal slab – being used for the VLR. There has been interest in the system from both home and abroad.
Source: Hits Radio Coventry
Flood warnings in place as heavy rain continues
Environment Agency has issued 91 flood warnings and 261 flood alerts. Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service warns of flooding in River Dene. Forecasters say rain has fallen every day of 2026 in south-west England and South Wales. Both have experienced a far wetter than average January, with 50% more rainfall than usual, forecasters say. Sunday will bring showers and some sun, but more wet and windy conditions are to move in from the west at the start of next week.
Source: Hits Radio Coventry
Pothole fund to be doubled across West Midlands
Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton will benefit. Vital funding provides cash to six councils to fix potholes and crumbling roads. West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker has set out plans to make £240 million available to cover highways maintenance for five years from April 2027. If approved by West Midlands Combined Authority’s Board approves at a meeting on February 13, it will represent a 100% increase from the £120 million released in the current five-year period.
Source: Hits Radio Coventry
Academy trust Chief Executive resigns after strikes
Richard Gill had been on a leave of absence since January and has now resigned. More than 800 NEU members at the trust took strike action over nine days in January. Further strike action was planned this month before the trust and the union came to an agreement. Lee Miller MBE was appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer and Accounting Officer earlier this week. The Board has full confidence in Lee’s leadership and will continue to support him as he engages with colleagues and trade union partners.
Source: Hits Radio Coventry
Man charged after fireworks incident in Coventry
Olamide Bello, 33, from Coventry, has been charged with making an explosive substance with intent to endanger life. Police were called to an address on St Jude’s Crescent on Wednesday (February 4th) after reports fireworks had been tampered with. Bello was due at Birmingham Magistrates Court today (February 6th) First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.
Source: Hits Radio Coventry
A46 southbound within the A45 near Coventry (east) junction | Southbound | Road Works
A46 southbound between the M69 and the junction with the A46 Coventry East. Lane two will be closed. Expect disruption everyday between 20:00 and 06:00 from 9 February 2026 to 12 February 20 26. Roadworks are planned.Status : Pending. The A46 is one of the busiest roads in Coventry. The M69 is the busiest road in the city.
Source: Highways – All Events
A45 eastbound between A46 near Coventry (west) and A46 near Coventry (east) | Eastbound | Road Works
The A45 eastbound between the junctions with the A46 Coventry West and the A 46 Coventry East. Lane three will be closed. Expect disruption everyday between 20:00 and 06:00 from 9 February 2026 to 12 February 20 26. There will be one of three lanes closed. Roadworks are planned.Status : Pending.Schedule : Expect disruption every day from 20:000 to 06:000.
Source: Highways – All Events
Dad dies after falling from balcony in Costa Del Sol while fiancée and children slept
Robert Davidson had been struggling with the one year anniversary of the death of the couple’s one year old baby. He had returned to the hotel he was sharing with Danielle Robb, 27, before kissing their children, aged eight and nine goodnight around midnight. He then fell off the sixth floor balcony in Torremolinos, Costa Del Sol. Hollie had died one year ago at seven weeks old from sudden infant death syndrome.
Source: Coventry Telegraph
Face of man thought to be behind a third of shoplifting cases at Bedworth Tesco
Scott Warner from Bedworth, was found guilty of 41 counts of shop theft. Warner is banned from entering Tesco, or any other shop he has stolen from previously. He is also not permitted to wear face coverings in any of the town’s shops. Warwickshire Police: “Criminal Behaviour Orders when breached can lead to significant prison sentences, with a maximum of five years”
Source: Coventry Telegraph
I tried the TikTok trend in quaint pub less than 30 minutes from Coventry served with scissors
The seafood boil is an online trend with millions of views across social media. It began across the pond in the States, and is traditionally associated with the American south and coastal cities. CoventryLive was invited to try their version of the seafood boil – the Cracking Crab as they call it – to see what it’s like. The White Hart, Ufton, sits atop a hill located between Leamington and Southam.
Source: Coventry Telegraph
Atmospheric pictures showcase Coventry City’s final years at Highfield Road
The final six years of Coventry City’s stay at Highfield Road were nothing if not tumultuous. Images were captured by a former Coventry Telegraph photographer and city fan Jason Scott Tilley. The images have been included in an edition of a popular football magazine called Lower Block. “Lower Block focuses on football culture through photography,” Matt from the magazine said. “We produce small-run, carefully curated photo zines in collaboration with photographers, championing both their work and independent publishing”
Source: Coventry Telegraph
Review – the Warwickshire distilled rum inspired by local boxing legend
Randolph Turpin, known as the Leamington Licker, was a renowned fighter. He won international fame when he became Middleweight Boxing Champion of the World after beating clear favourite Sugar Ray Robinson. The Warwickshire Rum Company have created three rums inspired by Turpin’s Caribbean roots. The spiced blended rum is “rectified with nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, orange peel, and finished off with Grade A vanilla” The honey rum is said to deliver a beautifully smooth sweet mouth feel.
Source: Coventry Telegraph
Flooding in Midlands after days of rain
Flood warnings and alerts are in place in parts of the West Midlands region. Environment Agency listed five warnings on Sunday evening in Staffordshire. In Warwickshire, 24 alerts were in place near the end of the weekend. High river levels led to flooding overnight between Saturday and Sunday at the River Avon between Rugby and Bidford-on-Avon, agency said. Last week, Storm Chandra brought flooding and travel disruption to parts of UK.
Source: BBC Coventry
Mum ‘overwhelmed’ by son’s spinal brace fundraiser
Chester was born with Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic condition that causes muscle weakness. His mum Kasey, from Warwickshire, said they faced a wait of up to 24 months to get a brace through the NHS. Tattoo artist Matty Gardner held a pop-up event for more than seven hours at his Kenilworth shop Ink on Skinz on Tuesday, raising £1,000.
Source: BBC Coventry
Policing model ‘no longer fit for purpose’
MP Sureena Brackenridge says police are tackling 21st Century crimes under 19th Century model. Home Office reforms include a new National Police Service to fight cross-border crime. A reduction in the number of local forces in England and Wales by about two-thirds. Proposals mean forces in Staffordshire, Warwickshire and West Mercia could be merged with others or joined up with West Midlands Police.
Source: BBC Coventry
Your photos: Grazing deer and a singing bird
Flood warnings and dozens of alerts were in place on Sunday evening. Severn Trent Water says a burst affected a number of homes, but later they were largely back on. Chester “urgently needs” a spinal brace to stop his spine curving into his lungs, his mum says. Reform says residents’ pay is not keeping pace with tax rises, but critics say the party’s budget is unsustainable.
Source: BBC Coventry
Tinnitus like ‘gas leak in head’, musician says
Andy Hall suffered the injury while gigging in Birmingham when he was 24. He now wears professional earplugs when practising but said he prefers not to wear them when playing live. The charity Tinnitus UK is calling for safer sound levels at live gigs. A report found 92% of gig goers had ringing in their ears after performances. Six out of every 10 music fans said they wore hearing protection at concerts.
Source: BBC Coventry
The XXV Winter Games kick off with the opening ceremony at the San Siro soccer stadium on Friday. Spread out over a vast swath of northern Italy, these Olympics are the first to truly embrace the International Olympic Committee’s reform plan of using existing venues no matter how far apart they are. Skating sports — including the return of NHL hockey players to the Olympics after more than a decade — will be held in Milan.
Source: Independent
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said it was ‘sad’ that stories were deflecting attention away from the upcoming Olympics. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered Saturday in Milan to protest the deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during the upcoming Winter Olympics. Coventry tried to fend them off by saying it was not the IOC’s place to comment on the issues. The upcoming Olympics run from Feb. 6-22.
Source: Independent