06/09/2014 Midlands Today

The number of people shopping on the high street has falldn

But despite the slump, the British Retail Consortitm says

the number of empty shops is at its lowest for three years.

Laura May McMullan has been talking to traders in Newcastle`unddr`Lyme.

Last year across the West Mhdlands there were over 34,500 new

Joanne Clay's bridal and party wear shop was one of them.

Since opening in December hdr business has grown rapidly.

About 400 dresses sold so far already.

So many brides, about 50 or 60 brides now.

Joanne was one of the winners of a Dragon's Den style competition

offering entrepreneurs their own shop rent free for six months and

Natalie Davies is close to opening her art coffee shop, and despite

I haven't for a second wavered in what I have wanted to do.

I've just had to keep the bdlief that one day I'm going to gdt there.

Over the year ?127,000 have been spent on improving the town centre.

Last year in the area nearlx 3, 00 new businesses were created.

The number of empty shops in Newcastle is still higher than

We have just about 14%, which for us compared to last year

which was roughly about 17%, it is a massive drop for us.

One of the initiatives they're about to launch here is this Lyme card.

Local shops pay ?50 a year to register and then offer discounts to

It's hoped it'll also encourage more businesses to start up in the town.

Two Staffordshire police officers were injured after a car collided

with their patrol car on thd M6 Toll road during a high speed ch`se.

The officers were pursuing `n MG ZR when the crash happened

A 23`year`old man was arrested at the scene and taken to hospital

The two officers were also taken to hospital.

Their injuries are not thought to be serious.

A 14`year`old boy has been released on police bail

following the discovery of ` woman's body in a Smethwick street.

A murder inquiry was launchdd after the 48`year`old woman was found dead

West Midlands Police said the boy had been freed on conditional

One of the Midlands' best known record

dealers has started selling off his entire collection of 75 thotsand

Dan Reddington ran Reddington's Rare Records in Birmingham until 200 .

Today collectors from all over the world descended on his Redditch

Discs worth far more than a pound were hidden in the collection.

There is one in here which my grandson Harvey...

It is a ten inch one which goes for ?100.

If somebody finds that it is a ?100 record for a pound,

In League One, leaders Peterborough beat Port Vale

3`1 while Walsall are still looking for their first win after

Onto League Two where Shrewsbury lost 2`0 at Hartlepool

while Cheltenham are still tnbeaten following a nil`nil draw

In the Conference, Telford continue to struggld, beaten

4`1 at home to Dover, Kidderminster were 2`1 winners over Gateshead

In rugby, Moseley began the new Championship season with

Here's Kaye Forster with the details.

If you got some brightness today you were doing quite well.

Most of us have been stuck tnder a blanket of cloud, there h`ve been

It is a much better picture for us tomorrow.

It will stay dry throughout the day and there will be plenty

We got some showers to get rid of first.

They will clear their way southwards and eastwards tonight.

These guys will clear behind them and we are starting to introduce

some cooler air so it will be a little bit chillier than recent

nights, with ticket temperatures down to single figures.

Beutiful start to the day, blue skies for many of us.

A little bit of fairweather cloud building up into the afternoon

but we will stay dry and sunny well into the aftdrnoon.

Temperatures will peak around 20 Celsius.

Good evening. It was a mixed bag to start the weekend. The satellite

sequence shows cloud across northern Scotland in the

sequence shows cloud across northern low pressure and associated weather

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