Tamworth Herald

Nine homes for rent to people on the housing register have been bought by Tamworth Borough Council., external

Image source, Tamworth Herald

Express and Star

A rogue builder who carried out shoddy work and used aggressive business practices in Halesowen has had to fork out more than £7,000, external.  

Lichfield Mercury

Police are appealing for information following the theft of a motorcycle, external in Lichfield.

Image source, Lichfield Mercury

BBC Sport

The percentage of club-trained players in Premier League squads has reached a new low, a study says.

Research by the CIES Football Observatory , external found 11.7% of players graduated from the same club's academy, down from 13.8% last year.

The findings also include the fact West Bromwich are fielding some of the oldest players in the Premier League, with an average age of more than 28 - the same as Stoke City.

A Bilston man has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving while over the alcohol limit following a fatal crash in Somerset. 

Robert Goodwin, from Highbridge, died in May when the car he was a passenger in left The Causeway at Mark and became submerged in water. 

Dominic Antonio Harding, of Bilston, will appear before magistrates in Taunton on 27 November.

Image source, Burnham-on-Sea.com

Brum Notes

Pop megastar Prince is set to announce a ‘Naked and Pure’ solo tour across the UK and Europe later this month, including a date in Birmingham, external, according to reports by Spanish newspaper El Pais, external.   

Amy Cole
BBC Midlands Today

We will hear more on the horrific case of Rebecca Kandare, who died aged nine months. Her parents Precious and Brian have admitted her manslaughter.

West Midlands Police reveals plans to cut PCSOs; and the countdown is well under way for this year's Children in Need Day on Friday.

Join us for the Midlands Today on BBC One at 13:30.

Walsall Advertiser

Travellers set up site outside the Walsall FC stadium, external and defied orders to leave at a designated time late last week.

Image source, Walsall Advertiser

A signalling problem, external at Birmingham New Street is causing delays of up to 25 minutes to London Midland services through the station, the Network Rail website says.

Disruption is expected to continue until 15:00.

It has been cloudy, mild and mostly dry this morning. Find out more about how it is looking this afternoon.

UNISON has hit out at plans to cut PCSO numbers from 535 down to 119 by 2020.

It said the planned cuts would damage the force's ability to investigate "vital clues" to solve burglaries, muggings and vandalism.

UNISON says it will campaign against these further proposed cuts and has already met with shadowing policing minister and Erdington MP Jack Dromey, to highlight their concerns.  

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

The force says it needs to save a further £130m by 2020 after already saving more than £146m.

At the moment the force has provision for 674 PCSO posts but 139 are vacant.

The force today announced it had begun a consultation over its plan to reduce the current number of posts from the 535 full posts down to 119 by 2020. It means around four in every five PCSOs will be axed.

Deputy Chief Constable David Thompson said it was "hugely regrettable but unavoidable, external".

West Midlands Police reveals it will cut its numbers of police community support officers (PCSOs) by 416, external in the next five years - down to 119 by 2020.

Adrian Goldberg
Presenter, BBC WM

Residents in Birmingham are furious that part of their road has been left "in disrepair" as they claim no local authority will take responsibility. 

Druids Lane falls on the border of the local authorities for Birmingham and Bromsgrove. 

Marilyn Melville has lived on the street for nine years and told me traffic was a "massive concern" too.

Birmingham City Council says part of the lane does fall into its responsibility and it is addressing concerns. 

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

Here are the top stories for Birmingham and the Black Country on Tuesday:

- Wolverhampton parents are due to be sentenced for killing their nine-month-old daughter

- A Rugeley woman has been charged with attempted murder after a man was stabbed on Sunday

- A total smoking ban is being suggested for Sandwell, City and Rowley Regis hospitals' sites

A Rugeley woman has been charged with attempted murder and is due to appear before magistrates this morning.

Sonia Witton, aged 47, of St Michael's Road, was arrested at Chasewater Country Park on Sunday after a 71-year-old man with stab wounds was airlifted to hospital from an address in Chorley Road.

BBC WM Sport

West Bromwich Albion midfielder James Morrison says the international break will be "crucial" for him to properly recover from an ankle injury.

Image source, Getty Images

Morrison started for the first time in a month during Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Manchester United but admits he is still not fully fit.  

Steve Hermon
Journalist, BBC WM

The lesser-spotted Bjorn Sigurdarsson made his comeback from back surgery in Wolves 2-1 win over Derby in the Under-21s Premier League Cup last night. 

The Icelandic striker played 25 minutes while Jordan Graham and Jed Wallace were on the scoresheet.

Michelle Dawes
BBC WM

A petition has been started by people in Walsall concerned about the loss of support workers in the area. 

The charity, KeyRing, is no longer providing the service for support workers commissioned by the council. 

Walsall Council says its priority has been to ensure services are made available for all eligible users - and it has a number of providers who are delivering alternative provision.

Steve Hermon
Journalist, BBC WM

Former Aston Villa winger Steve Froggatt believes the club should sign Blackburn striker Jordan Rhodes in the January transfer window. 

Froggy told Franksy on the BBC WM Football Phone-In last night that he could be the man to keep Villa in the Premier League.

Image source, Getty Images