HERE’S your evening news round up for the Black Country and north Worcestershire.

Prime Minister Theresa May called in at a thriving Black Country furniture firm this morning (Monday) as part of efforts to give Dudley Conservatives a boost ahead of the looming local election.

Mrs May stopped off at Boss Design in Dudley, which has just secured a deal to kit out the World Trade Centre in New York, to big up Tory colleagues who are fighting to hang onto Dudley Council.

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A Quarry Bank man has been given a 12-month community order for drink driving.

When Matthew Phillip Greenwood, aged 27, of Thorns Road was caught behind the wheel in Brierley Hill on April 1, he had 115mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath. The legal limit is 35mcgs.

He was disqualified from driving for two years and must carry out 60 hours unpaid work.

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An appeal has launched to find a "dangerous individual" who drove at three teenage boys in Bromsgrove and hurled abuse at them.

The three victims were walking along Birmingham Road heading into the town centre when they were followed onto the Stourbridge Road by a motorbike.

The rider of the bike, which is described as being a Harley Davidson style, mounted the pavement and drove at the teenagers.

The motorcyclist shouted at them and made an abusive gesture during the incident, which took place between 8.30pm and 9pm on Tuesday, March 13.

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Councillors proposing to close a Kidderminster respite centre for disabled children have been accused of adding to the distress of families in a damning report.

Scrutiny Task Group will present its highly critical report to Worcestershire County Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday (April 26) slamming the consultation process over the future of Ludlow Road Short Breaks Centre.

The report – which came after the proposal was ‘called in’ for scrutiny - described the consultation as “haphazard and confused” and believes any final decision could be open to challenge. It also said likely cost savings from implementing the proposals are not clear.

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The chairman of the trust that oversees Redditch's Alexandra Hospital has resigned less than two years after taking on the role.

Caragh Merrick has announced her decision to step down from her position with Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust with effect from April 30.

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