A MAN has been arrested after a KFC in Dudley was raided by robbers armed with machetes.

Four men with machetes stormed KFC in Castlegate Business Park just before 2pm yesterday afternoon (March 28).

They demanded money from staff before assaulting a cash security officer who had just arrived at the premises, leaving him with cuts to his legs and back.

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THE company contracted to provide metalworks at the new Wyre Forest emergency services hub has "ceased trading", the fire service has confirmed.

An employee at steelwork and cladding company Midland Erection Ltd, based in Brierley Hill, said staff were told on Thursday (March 28) that the company would be entering administration.

The staff member, who asked to remain anonymous, said the firm was set to carry out works on the new Wyre Forest Hub in Kidderminster from mid April until August, including fitting a fireman's pole and staircases.

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MORE than 20 firefighters from stations including Dudley and Oldbury have been called to a huge fire at a waste facility in Tipton.

The blaze, at a factory on Bloomfield Road, started last night around midnight.

Residents were told to stay indoors and make sure their windows were closed due to large amounts of smoke in the area.

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AIR pollution hotspots in Oldbury are getting cleaner, council chiefs have claimed ahead of a public consultation on the issue this summer.

Sandwell Council is to launch a public consultation for people across the borough's six towns to have their say on plans to improve air quality.

The Halesowen News reported last month that several sites in Oldbury and Blackheath exceeded acceptable nitrogen dioxide levels, according to Friends of the Earth figures.

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AN unprovoked assault in a Rednal pub has left a man with facial injuries.

A man in his 40s was inside the New Rose and Crown pub on New Road when a man is believed to have approached him and punched him to the face.

The incident happened at around 6pm last Sunday (March 24).

The assailant is described as white, around 5ft 5in tall, of stocky build, with short dark curly hair.

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THE Royal Enfield pub in Redditch is set to undergo extensive refurbishment work costing £790,000.

The popular pub, in Unicorn Hill, which first opened as a Wetherspoon in May 2010, is undergoing a refurbishment project, including the addition of a new outdoor area, at the rear of the pub.

A new elevated decking area is being created, on the site of the staff car park.

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