A Worcestershire man is nearing the end of a 24-hour stint in an Elizabethan priest hole, alone with only a praying mannequin for company.
Phil Downing is a volunteer at Harvington Hall and he's staying silent in the hole for 24 hours to raise funds for the hall's Restoration Trust.
In the late 1500's, when it was illegal to hear mass, Catholic families used to hide holy-men in their homes from royal soldiers coming to arrest them.
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Quote Message:
My main aim is to raise funds for the hall, but I also want to experience what it must have been like for a Jesuit priest to have been confined to such a small space for such a long time. Raids could have lasted for days, but I'm only going to be spending 24 hours with minimal food and drink and no natural light."
from Phil Downing Harvington Hall volunteer
My main aim is to raise funds for the hall, but I also want to experience what it must have been like for a Jesuit priest to have been confined to such a small space for such a long time. Raids could have lasted for days, but I'm only going to be spending 24 hours with minimal food and drink and no natural light."
The hall has seven priest holes in all, more than any other building in England.
New boss takes up the reins of Worcestershire's troubled hospitals
James Pearson
Journalist, BBC Hereford & Worcester
The new permanent chief executive of Worcestershire's acute hospitals begins her first day in the job today.
Australian Michelle McKay has never worked in the NHS before, but she has run hospitals and a social care charity in her home country, and is a former emergency nurse.
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which is currently in special measures, says it's secured a "world-class leader".
There's plenty of mist and fog around in Herefordshire this morning.
Thanks to
BBC Weather Watchers
Johnqa in Lyonshall and Postman Les in Bromyard for these beautiful pictures of the countryside emerging through the mist.
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Worcestershire's Joe Clarke stars in Abu Dhabi opener
James Harris (3-49) and Ravi Patel (3-83) ensured MCC were kept in check.
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Northamptonshire's Ben Duckett made 69 and Yorkshire opener Alex Lees 41 after MCC had won the toss.
And it was MCC's day when Lewis Gregory removed Sam Robson in the four overs Middlesex had to face before stumps, Middlesex closing 9-1 - 323 behind.
Hereford man's Filipino wife still in the UK
Nicola Goodwin
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester
A Hereford man whose Filipino wife is threatened with deportation, was unable to meet the deadline to leave voluntarily, after her flight was cancelled.
Marinel Bristow came to live in the UK with her husband Rob, after a typhoon killed dozens of her relatives and friends in 2013.
When her legal team failed to win her a few more weeks in the UK to say her goodbyes, Marinel bought plane tickets to fly back last night to meet a Home Office deadline.
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Quote Message:
I think we're both shocked and I think it's absolutely disgraceful how she can be treated like this. They took her to the airport 10 hours before the flight. Apparently the flight was just cancelled and she was told the flight would be today instead at 12:30."
from Rob Bristow
I think we're both shocked and I think it's absolutely disgraceful how she can be treated like this. They took her to the airport 10 hours before the flight. Apparently the flight was just cancelled and she was told the flight would be today instead at 12:30."
Paramedics were called to Offmore Road in the town at about 20:30 on Friday and found a 55-year-old with serious head injuries. He died in hospital a day later.
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Police are treating his death as suspicious.
The man's next of kin has been informed and a post mortem is due to take place.
Video: Are the blue skies going to continue?
Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter
A lovely day in store, with plenty of blue sky and sunshine around with highs of 14C (57F).
A West Mercia police officer has been given a final written warning for striking a handcuffed man on the back of the head "without reasonable excuse or lawful authority".
A misconduct hearing found the behaviour of Insp Tim Bower fell "below the standards expected from an officer".
Police say the officer, who has completed 18 years' service with West Mercia Police, was most recently based at Hindlip in Worcestershire - he is currently on "a career break" a spokesman said.
The incident happened in March 2013 in Ross-on-Wye.
Live Reporting
Monica Rimmer
All times stated are UK
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Latest PostOn Midlands Today from 13:30: Spanish cat turns up in Midlands
Joanne Malin
BBC Midlands Today
On Midlands Today this lunchtime, we'll have the unusual story of how a cat which turned up in our region has apparently made the journey from Spain.
Vets found the animal, nicknamed Slinky, had been reported missing a month ago in mainland Europe.
We'll find out how it's though it happened and what the next step is, on BBC One from 13:30.
Man found fatally injured identified
Mark Beresford was discovered with serious head injuries in Kidderminster and died in hospital.
Read morePolice name man who died of head injuries
Briohny Williams
South East Today reporter
A Kidderminster man who died at the weekend from serious head injuries has been named by police as 55-year-old Mark Beresford .
He died in hospital on Saturday, after paramedics were called to a property on Offmore Road in the town at around 20:30 on Friday.
Police say a post-mortem examination indicates his death is unexplained and investigations are continuing to try to establish how he was injured.
A 22-year-old man who was arrested on Saturday has been released on police bail until a date in July.
Hereford win second promotion in a row
Phoenix club Hereford FC secure their second successive promotion, winning their eighth-tier title with six games to spare.
Read moreTwenty four hours in a priest hole
Nina Das Gupta
Presenter, BBC Hereford & Worcester
A Worcestershire man is nearing the end of a 24-hour stint in an Elizabethan priest hole, alone with only a praying mannequin for company.
Phil Downing is a volunteer at Harvington Hall and he's staying silent in the hole for 24 hours to raise funds for the hall's Restoration Trust.
In the late 1500's, when it was illegal to hear mass, Catholic families used to hide holy-men in their homes from royal soldiers coming to arrest them.
The hall has seven priest holes in all, more than any other building in England.
New boss takes up the reins of Worcestershire's troubled hospitals
James Pearson
Journalist, BBC Hereford & Worcester
The new permanent chief executive of Worcestershire's acute hospitals begins her first day in the job today.
Australian Michelle McKay has never worked in the NHS before, but she has run hospitals and a social care charity in her home country, and is a former emergency nurse.
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which is currently in special measures, says it's secured a "world-class leader".
Misty morning in Herefordshire
There's plenty of mist and fog around in Herefordshire this morning.
Thanks to BBC Weather Watchers Johnqa in Lyonshall and Postman Les in Bromyard for these beautiful pictures of the countryside emerging through the mist.
Worcestershire's Joe Clarke stars in Abu Dhabi opener
BBC Sport
Worcestershire batsman Joe Clarke top-scored with 89 as MCC were bowled out for 332 on the opening day of the Champion County match in Abu Dhabi .
James Harris (3-49) and Ravi Patel (3-83) ensured MCC were kept in check.
Northamptonshire's Ben Duckett made 69 and Yorkshire opener Alex Lees 41 after MCC had won the toss.
And it was MCC's day when Lewis Gregory removed Sam Robson in the four overs Middlesex had to face before stumps, Middlesex closing 9-1 - 323 behind.
Hereford man's Filipino wife still in the UK
Nicola Goodwin
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester
A Hereford man whose Filipino wife is threatened with deportation, was unable to meet the deadline to leave voluntarily, after her flight was cancelled.
Marinel Bristow came to live in the UK with her husband Rob, after a typhoon killed dozens of her relatives and friends in 2013.
When her legal team failed to win her a few more weeks in the UK to say her goodbyes, Marinel bought plane tickets to fly back last night to meet a Home Office deadline.
Arrest after 'suspicious' death in Kidderminster
Police have arrested a 22-year-old man after the death of another man in Kidderminster at the weekend .
Paramedics were called to Offmore Road in the town at about 20:30 on Friday and found a 55-year-old with serious head injuries. He died in hospital a day later.
Police are treating his death as suspicious.
The man's next of kin has been informed and a post mortem is due to take place.
Video: Are the blue skies going to continue?
Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter
A lovely day in store, with plenty of blue sky and sunshine around with highs of 14C (57F).
You can find a detailed forecast for your area here.
Arrest after man dies of head injuries
A 22-year-old man is being interviewed by police after the victim, 55, died in hospital.
Read moreWhen first locomotive steamed down line
Volunteers at a heritage railway are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first locomotive to travel on the restored line.
Our live coverage across the day
We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 on Monday.
Keep an eye out here for more updates this evening.
Have a good weekend.
Tini Owens: Grounds for divorce
Monica Rimmer
Journalist, BBC Online
We've been telling you about Tini Owens and her marriage to her husband Hugh Owens - she's been told by the Court of Appeal that she can't divorce her husband of 39 years.
Judges concluded that the marriage had not "in law" irretrievably broken down.
When you apply for a divorce in England and Wales you must prove your marriage has broken down and give one of the following five reasons:
Source: Gov.uk
Man charged after a woman assaulted
A man has been charged after an alleged assault on a 32-year-old woman in Evesham, police say.
West Mercia Police say the 29-year-old has been charged with using threatening or abusive behaviour, assault and criminal damage.
The incident happened on Sunday, 19 March.
The man has been bailed to appear at Worcester Magistrates' Court on 27 April, a spokesman said.
Kidderminster Harriers win red card appeal
Tyrell Waite will be available for selection tomorrow after overturning a ban.
Final written warning for West Mercia officer
A West Mercia police officer has been given a final written warning for striking a handcuffed man on the back of the head "without reasonable excuse or lawful authority".
A misconduct hearing found the behaviour of Insp Tim Bower fell "below the standards expected from an officer".
Police say the officer, who has completed 18 years' service with West Mercia Police, was most recently based at Hindlip in Worcestershire - he is currently on "a career break" a spokesman said.
The incident happened in March 2013 in Ross-on-Wye.