Kate Baldock
As seen in:
Bottom LINE,
MSN,
MSN Singapore,
Yahoo Entertainment,
Yahoo Life,
BBC,
BBC News,
Yahoo Canada,
Yahoo News Malaysia,
Yahoo News New Zealand
and
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Kate Baldock
Funding approved for extra SEND support at schools
Warwickshire County Council said demand for SEND provision has continued to grow [PA Media] Three primary schools in Warwickshire are to receive new resources for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support, with another school set to see an increase in places. Warwickshire County Council approved to allocate more than £320,000 at a meeting of councillors on Thursday. Binley Woods Primary School, While St Oswald's CofE Academy and Brownsover Community School are among the recipients.
Museum announces Peaky Blinders themed events
Fans of Peaky Blinders are being given the chance to journey into Birmingham's industrial 1920's landscape with a series of themed evenings. The Black Country Living Museum has announced three Peaky Blinders nights, taking place throughout 2026, with the first on 14 March. It follows the premiere of the film, The Immortal Man, which took place at Symphony Hall in Birmingham. The film is being shown at cinemas for two weeks, beginning on Friday, and will then stream on Netflix from 20 March.
Museum announces Peaky Blinders themed events
Fri, March 6, 2026 at 6:17 AM UTC Thomas Shelby played by Cillian Murphy in the popular Peaky Blinders Fans of Peaky Blinders are being given the chance to journey into Birmingham's industrial 1920's landscape with a series of themed evenings. The Black Country Living Museum has announced three Peaky Blinders nights, taking place throughout 2026, with the first on 14 March. It follows the premiere of the film, The Immortal Man, which took place at Symphony Hall in Birmingham.
'It's a dream come true to be a presenter at Crufts'
A dog trainer, who is part of the Channel 4 Crufts presenter line up, said getting ready to commentate on her sixth show was "a real passion". Laura Crombie, 40, from Hagley in Worcestershire has been showing and judging dogs since she was a child. "If you told me when I was 12 when I came to my first Crufts that one day I'd be working with Clare Balding and Claudia Winkleman, I'd have never believed you," she said.
Plans for musical heritage to be celebrated
Top of the Pops : 1970 : Black Sabbath [BBC] A £1m culture fund has been approved to help Birmingham bid for City of Music status and celebrate its rich musical heritage. The fund was raised as the city council passed its budget this week. Leader John Cotton told councillors it would be used to "develop a bid for City of Music status and celebrate everything from Black Sabbath to Lord of the Rings, St Patrick's Day and the Ramadan Streets Festival".
Leisure centre pools re-open after repairs
Burntwood Leisure Centre near Lichfield had to close its main and learner pools on 9 February due to a failure of the pool pumps and pipework. The learner pool was reopened last week, followed by the main one on Tuesday. "We look forward to welcoming swimmers back", a spokesperson from Lichfield District Council said. Lichfield District Council has also confirmed that scheduled swimming sessions and lessons would restart.
Second murder arrest over missing Nuneaton woman
Kate Baldock Tue, March 3, 2026 at 3:45 p.m. UTC 1 min read Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. A second man has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of a woman from Nuneaton. Katie Love, 48, went missing on 23 February. The case is being investigated by Warwickshire Police's major crime team which says it is increasingly concerned she may have come to harm.
Second murder arrest over missing Nuneaton woman
A second man has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of a woman from Nuneaton. Katie Love, 48, went missing on 23 February. The case is being investigated by Warwickshire Police's major crime team which says it is increasingly concerned she may have come to harm. On Monday, a 48-year-old man from Nuneaton was held on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody.
Leader offers rosier assessment - and an apology
John Cotton, Labour leader of Birmingham City Council, said the fortunes of Birmingham were improving [BBC] The leader of Birmingham City Council has given a positive assessment of the authority's finances while also offering an apology as he considers Birmingham's fortunes one week out from a looming anniversary. After a sustained period of high-profile, financial turmoil, the authority on Monday pushed through its first balanced budget in three years, although it needed two attempts.
Appeal after racist graffiti sprayed on house
Police are keen to speak to two people after racist graffiti was sprayed onto the outside of a house. A window of the house on Weston Road in Morda, Oswestry, was smashed and a racial slur was painted onto the property, on Sunday 15 February between 18:40 GMT and 19:00, West Mercia Police said. To help with inquiries, officers have released Ring doorbell footage of a pedestrian and driver of a car they would like to speak to. There were no injuries and nobody was in the property at the time.
'There's only so much fly-tipping we can take'
Richard Yates said he was annoyed at having to clean up fly-tipping on his land [BBC] A Shropshire livestock farmer has said he has seen "repeated cases of fly-tipping" on his farm, which seem to be getting worse. Richard Yates from Bridgnorth said he had seen everything from general rubbish to builders' waste, garden waste, tyres, and chemicals dumped on his land. He told the BBC that before Christmas a dead foal had been left on his property, which he reported to police.
Female staff supported by 'hormone holidays'
Marzena Raj, 42 and Dorota Kocol, 37, have praised the company's policy [BBC] The owner of a small business has said she is getting more, not less, from her staff after it introduced so-called "hormone holidays" for female employees. Heaven Skincare, based at Hadley Park in Telford, offers unlimited leave to support staff when hormonal changes such as periods, adenomyosis, endometriosis, periods, perimenopause and menopause significantly affect their wellbeing.
Canal fundraisers collect more than £100,000
Two boats were left at the bottom of a deep trench, with a third hanging over the edge [PA Media] More than £100,000 has been raised for boat owners affected by a canal breach just before Christmas. YouTuber Paul Smith-Storey set up an online fundraising page to help them and said he expected to raise £3,000 at most. He said he had been "blown away" by people's generosity and the money would "make life a little easier for the three boaters involved in the breach".
'Second home' pub opens as a warm space
A pub has said it opened as a "warm space" for locals after hearing "upsetting" stories from customers who found it cheaper to be there than to heat their homes. The Pheasant, in Newport, Shropshire, posted on social media offering "warmth without worry" and saying people deserved to be warm and dry in a "community hub". Warm spaces are often run by community groups where people can find company and hot drinks during cold weather to combat heating bills and loneliness.
Family fight 'unfair' decision to take away PIP
The family of a man who lost his leg when he was two years old have asked for a rethink of a decision to strip him of his disability benefits and force him to pay back £36,000. Shaun Rigby from Telford had his Personal Independence Payment (PIP) withdrawn after a video emerged, showing him take part in a game of cricket.
Hospitality businesses expect 'dim' Budget outlook
Kate Baldock November 25, 2025 at 10:10 PM Jolyon Iles, owner of The Beech Tree, said rising prices were affecting profits [BBC] Businesses in Oswestry said they were not feeling optimistic ahead of Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivering her Budget on Wednesday. Reeves is expected to increase taxes and has said she would make the "necessary choices" for the economy, to address NHS waiting lists, the national debt and the cost of living.
Mayor complains of abuse 'rooted in misogyny'
A mayor has complained she is receiving online abuse which she believes is "rooted in misogyny" and resentment of women in leadership. Eileen Callear, the Mayor of Telford and Wrekin, said as a result of the abuse she had become worried about her own safety, with the murders of MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess in her mind.
Fireworks set off panic attacks - veteran with PTSD
Pete White, 38, served nine years in the RAF and was deployed to Afghanistan. [BBC] An RAF veteran who served in Afghanistan wants greater restrictions on the sale and use of fireworks, saying they would spark "significant panic attacks" in him. Pete White worked as a communications engineer and was medically discharged after nine years of service in 2017 when he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Gyratory bus stop change 'dangerous and ludicrous'
Martin Monahan, owner of The Buttermarket, set up the petition against the bus stop being built [BBC] A petition signed by thousands of people has criticised a "dangerous" and "utterly ridiculous" decision to place a "floating" bus stop on a busy stretch of road. Work on Shrewsbury's gyratory system began in June 2024, bringing in a single-lane road outside the railway station. A floating bus stop has an island for passengers to safely board in the middle of the road, with a cycle lane beyond.
New road system makes traffic worse - businesses
Come Friday and Saturday afternoon "you just pull the plug and go home". That is the view of a Hackney cab driver who operates at Shrewsbury railway station. Despite the town's gyratory system being completed after more than a year of work, traffic has not improved, Simon Bendall says. And conducting business at certain times is "no longer viable".
Fears over influx of car cruisers after court bans
There are fears from police that car cruising events or street racing could be moving to Shropshire from other parts of the West Midlands due to injunctions banning them in those places. There are currently no court orders prohibiting them in the Telford and Wrekin area and some drivers are using the M54 to travel to Shropshire to meet up, PC Sean Maddocks, from West Mercia Police, said.
Ambulance triage is a 'game-changer' - paramedic
Jamie Breen said a triage system introduced in 2021 had been a "game-changer" [BBC] "Our peak across the West Midlands area every day is 400 ambulances, the demand will always be high." Jamie Breen, a West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) paramedic who has been in the role for six years, has told how the introduction of a Clinical Validation Team (CVT) in 2021 has been a "game-changer for the service".
Arrests after three found in back of fridge lorry
Three arrests have been made after several people were found in the back of a refrigerated lorry in Telford. West Mercia Police said they were called at about 11:20 BST on Tuesday following a report of concerns for the welfare of a woman and two men at Brockton Business Park, Halesfield. The force said two men and a woman were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences and remained in police custody.
Continuing dry weather depletes farm's supplies
John Roberts said a decreased barley harvest also meant he had less straw [BBC] A year of warm and dry weather has impacted farms, with one Shropshire farmer saying his straw stores are about half what they would normally be. John Roberts said just by looking at his land you could see "just brown, there's no green at all". "I've got probably enough grass for my sheep, but if I was running any more sheep, then you'd have to feed them, you'd have to feed them with something," he said.
Newport toddler group parents struggle as costs rise
Kate Baldock BBC Radio Shropshire Parents at a toddler group say they are being left with nothing in their pockets at the end of the month because of rising costs straining their family finances. When water bills, energy prices and council tax all rose in April, the charity Citizens Advice said the finances of millions of people on the lowest incomes were “already stretched to breaking point”.
Barbie club teaching children positive messages
A primary school has started a Barbie-themed after-school club and has had to set up a waiting list for places because of its popularity. Teaching assistant Claudia Bradbury at Newport Infant School in Shropshire came up with the idea and said she wanted to use the dolls to teach the children they "can do anything" and about equality. She grew up with a love of the dolls and said she wanted to "throw a little bit of sparkle in there as well".
Rural students' transport woes 'disrupt education'
Rural sixth form students have complained a lack of public transport is threatening their education because getting to college is difficult. The concerns have been raised after Julia Buckley, MP for Shrewsbury, discussed the issue in parliament and called for changes in funding rules to allow more rural colleges to offer travel bursaries.
Rural students' transport woes 'disrupt education'
Sixth form students who live in rural areas fear their exam grades will be affected because of poor public transport links [PA Media] Rural sixth form students have complained a lack of public transport is threatening their education because getting to college is difficult. The concerns have been raised after Julia Buckley, MP for Shrewsbury, discussed the issue in parliament and called for changes in funding rules to allow more rural colleges to offer travel bursaries.
Villagers feel 'marooned' by floods
Residents fear what might happen in the future if someone has a medical emergency [BBC] Residents of a village have said they felt cut off after some of the worst flash flooding in living memory. Last week, roads into Hadnall in Shropshire were cut off for 36 hours, with houses on Painsbrook Lane among the worst affected by floods. Local farmer Peter Brisbourne said the only vehicles able to get in and out of Hadnall were the largest of his tractors.
'How I use stand-up to cope with perimenopause'
Sarah Stenton said her first show made her realise stand-up comedy was the thing for her [BBC] When Sarah Strenton started a Facebook blog in 2017 to help her cope with going through perimenopause, she had no idea it would eventually lead to her doing stand-up comedy. The former estate agency owner, 53, from Much Wenlock in Shropshire, now has 54,000 followers on her blog, Middle Age Madness, and travels across the UK performing stand-up about her experiences.
TB dairy herd facing slaughter as farmer retires
Kate Baldock - BBC Radio Shropshire September 3, 2024 at 11:36 AM·2 min read A dairy farmer whose herd has been blighted by TB for the last four years has said they will all have to be slaughtered when he retires. Andrew Bebb, who farms near Hanwood in Shropshire, said it was a "bitter pill to swallow", but there was little choice after three potential buyers had pulled out. He said it was unclear how his animals had become infected and suggested more research was needed.
The board game cafes that roll with their success
Continue reading More for You
Hospital reassures patients over building work
August 7, 2024 at 12:17 AM Ed Rysdale is the clinical lead for the hospitals transformation programme [BBC] The man in charge of an ambitious hospitals transformation programme has assured patients that they will still be seen while construction work is underway. Under the plans, Telford Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) will lose its full A&E department, with the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) to become the main emergency centre.
Illegal off-road bike reports rise by 60%
Continue reading More for You
Illegal off-road bike reports rise by 60%
Continue reading More for You Continue reading More for You
Illegal off-road bike reports rise by 60% - police
July 31, 2024 at 12:26 AM Those on the bikes show a complete disregard for public safety, Insp Richard Jones said [Getty Images] There has been almost a 60% rise in reports from the public about people using illegal off-road bikes in Telford in the past 18 months, latest figures show. West Mercia Police has described the rise, also involving quad bikes, as drastic and said it was taking action in areas like Brookside, Ketley and Madeley.
England fans in Shrewsbury joyous over result
England fans joyous over semi-final win By Kate Baldock, BBC Radio Shropshire • Clare Lissaman, BBC News, West Midlands BBC Josh (right) said he was "feeling great" after Ollie Watkins' last-minute winner A Shropshire pub was among thousands of venues to see joyous celebrations when Ollie Watkins scored his last-minute goal that sent England to the Euro 2024 final. "I've been waiting for that moment for weeks," the Aston Villa striker said after the semi-final win against the Netherlands.
Barber shop dream comes true for 18-year-old
Kate Baldock - BBC News, West Midlands July 10, 2024 at 9:15 AM·2 min read An 18-year-old man has realised a dream he had throughout school to open his own barbers. Harry Bushell has set up shop in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, with backing from his parents, after running a mobile hair-cutting business for 18 months.
Wem boy to finish Three Peaks Challenge to help military children
Boy to finish Three Peaks to help military children By Kate Baldock, BBC Radio Shropshire • Chloe Hughes, BBC News, West Midlands FAMILY Alex is raising money for Little Troopers, a charity that supports military children like him A 10-year-old boy from Shropshire will aim to finish the Three Peaks Challenge this weekend to raise money for a charity and mark Armed Forces Day.
Knife crime a big problem in Shropshire - campaigner
A Shropshire-based knife crime campaigner has warned knives are become a "big problem" in the county. Tim Allin, who works for the Stay True Project, said he had worked with children as young as 10, adding that knives had become a status symbol. He said he was recruited into a gang when he was 11 and had been attacked with a knife himself. He said he now wanted to "prevent anybody else going down that path again".
The Shropshire town that embraced circus troupe in lockdown Original
Image source, Circus Funtasia Image caption, While staying in Oswestry, the circus performers took on a variety of other jobs By Shyamantha Asokan & Kate Baldock Circus Funtasia will complete a run of shows in Oswestry this weekend - but the Shropshire town is far from a standard stop on its touring schedule.
NHS worker praises nurses after losing two family members to coronavirus
28 April 2020, 08:37 | Updated: 28 April 2020, 09:12 Jo Bellion has praised the work of NHS nurses. Picture: LBC By Kate Baldock A mother of two, from Birmingham who works as a pharmacy dispenser has spoken of her admiration in not leaving her 71-year-old dad, Terry, to die alone after she said goodbye to him on Facetime.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Kate
Contact Kate, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack