Evening news round-up for the Black Country and north Worcestershire

A 31-year-old Kingswinford man who groomed a schoolgirl in the hope of starting a sexual relationship has avoided spending time behind bars.

The actions of Andrew Turner, of Court Crescent, left the 12-year-old girl with nightmares in which he was going to rape her, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

To read the full court report click here.

The family of a motorcyclist who suffered serious injuries in a hit-and-run in Rowley Regishave issued a desperate appeal for witnesses and information.

Father-of-three Graham Hickman, aged 52, suffered serious head and leg injuries and remains ‘critical’ in hospital after the Harley Davidson he was riding was hit by a vehicle in Birmingham Road just after 7.40pm on Sunday October 30.

Police officers say they want to hear from witnesses who saw a dark coloured convertible in the area and Mr Hickman’s family are urging anyone with information about the incident to get in touch.

To read more click here.

Police have issued an appeal for information after a woman was assaulted and robbed in Dudley.

Two men approached a 29-year-old woman as she was sat in her car on the Village Leisure Hotel car park at around 8.30pm on Friday (November 4) and demanded her keys.

To read more click here.

An Alcester man who set fire to his former partner's Cradley Heath home while she was inside with her six-year-old daughter has been locked up for 10 years.

The woman woke up to find Daniel Watkins, aged 34, in the house after she ended their relationship - and he told her "she was going to burn in Hell".

To read the full court report click here.

Redundancies have been announced at a major nationwide company following the closure of its head office in Bromsgrove.

BHSF Occupational Health have closed their headquarters on Hanbury Road in Stoke Prior as a result of recent business acquisitions and a review of operations.

The company, who provide health services in the workplace, will relocate its headquarters to Edgbaston in Birmingham, which will "regrettably result in a number of redundancies".

To read more click here.

There is an anxious wait to find out the fate of the Kidderminster branch of Marks & Spencer as the chain is reportedly set to announce the closure of some high street shops.

Chief executive Steve Rowe is expected to announce that dozens of its high street shops are to close and it will also phase out clothing sales at select stores as part of a major overhaul.

It is not yet known what will happen to the branch at Kidderminster's Weavers Wharf retail park.

To read more click here.