Repairs to fire-damaged cables, which have caused delays of up to an hour on trains between Coventry and Birmingham New Street, are expected to last until the end of service.

The services hit by delays include Virgin Trains, Cross Country and London Midland, with some trains not stopping at Birmingham International and Coventry.

Cannock Mercury

Colleagues of a woman who was found dead on Cannock Chase have paid tribute to her, stating that they have been left "shocked and saddened, external" by the news.  

Neighbours living in the shadow of Birmingham City's St Andrews Stadium have until today to have their say on a possible residents' parking zone on matchdays.

The city council said it first carried out a consultation with residents and businesses nearby in March which showed "varying support" for such a scheme.

Image source, Getty Images

A second consultation on the areas where there was "greater support" finishes today. 

The authority said it must be "self-financing", so residents would be charged £16 per household for their first parking permit if the proposal was approved. Blue badge holders would receive a free first permit.

A business permit would be £125. Have you say here., external

Express and Star

This was the scene today when a lorry travelling on the M6 through the West Midlands toppled over, triggering the closure of the motorway and traffic chaos, external.  

Image source, West Midlands Ambulance Service

Qasa Alom
BBC Midlands Today

Two men have today been cleared of murdering Coventry teenager Nicola Payne nearly 24 years ago after a five-week trial.

Police are searching for vandals who set fire to power cables, causing major delays for train travellers.  

And a minute's silence has been held across the West Midlands to remember the victims of the Paris terror attacks.

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

A pedestrian who died after he was involved in a collision on the M32 in Bristol has been named by police as a 22-year-old man from Wolverhampton.

Joseph Samuel Tennant was walking towards Bristol city centre along the outbound carriageway of the M32, between junctions 3 and 2, at around 05:00 on Sunday when he was in collision with a car, said Avon & Somerset Constabulary.

The force said he was thrown into the opposite carriageway where officers believed he was struck by another vehicle. The force is appealing for witnesses, external.

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

If you are just catching up on today's news, here are the headlines in the BBC WM newsroom:

- Vandalism causes delays on trains from Coventry into Birmingham New Street due to last until "the end of service" today

- One-minute silences are held for the victims of the Paris attacks

- West Midlands Ambulance Service calls for tougher sentences for those who attack its staff

The next phase of works to build the new £500m Paradise development in Birmingham city centre has begun - closing the area to traffic. 

It comes after months of roadworks in the city centre since the scheme began in January. Black cab driver Tahir Ahmed said fares had nearly doubled which was unfair on customers.

The 10-year Paradise project will see the old library demolished and new offices, shops and walkways created.

Image source, Core Marketing

Walsall Advertiser

A Walsall man who police believe may have shot himself with a homemade gun has died, external.

Network Rail is now reporting it expects disruption on the trains between Coventry and Birmingham New Street to continue until the end of service today, external.

West Midlands Ambulance Service staff have been kicked, punched, spat at, had knives pointed at them and been threatened with death over the past six months.

New figures revealed at the service's trust board's meeting said for the first six months of this financial year (April – September), the number of physical assaults on staff rose by almost 30% to 139. The number of verbal assaults also rose, by 13% to 246.

The service said its trust chief executive, Anthony Marsh, would write to the Chairs of Magistrates Benches across the region asking them to take the toughest possible action against members of the public who assault trust staff.

Michelle Dawes
BBC WM

Response targets for the most life-threatening 999 calls have been missed in Staffordshire for three of the past six months. 

In May, July and September, West Midlands Ambulance Service failed to reach three quarters of the most life-threatening calls in the county within eight minutes. 

The service has blamed large peaks in demand.

Cannock Mercury

The A5 through Cannock has this morning been brought to a standstill following a crash, external at Longford Island.  

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Raymond Hassall, will lead the city's one-minute silence at 11:00 from outside the Library of Birmingham, and Union flags and the French Tricolore will be flown at half-mast at the council house, Victoria Square and Centenary Square throughout the day.

The council said the Lord Mayor sent the following message to President Francois Hollande and the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidlago at the weekend:  “I am writing to express my deep shock and sorrow at the appalling loss of life in Paris.  

"On behalf of the people of Birmingham, I send our most sincere condolences to you, the families of those who have died and the French people.”

Sandwell Council has announced its staff will observe a minute’s silence at 11:00 today as a show of solidarity with, and in remembrance of, the Paris attack victims.

Staff and members of the public will gather outside Sandwell Council House in Oldbury, where the French Tricolore is being flown at half-mast.

The council said the borough's mayor, Councillor Barbara Price, will be writing a letter of support to the Mayor of Le Blanc-Mesnil - a town in the north eastern suburbs of Paris - which is twinned with Sandwell.

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

Here is a quick recap of the stories we're reporting for Birmingham and the Black Country:

- A minute's silence will be held outside Sandwell Council house for the victims of the Paris attacks

- A series of fires by vandals have caused delays of up to an hour for train users travelling between Coventry and Birmingham New Street

- The next phase of work on the Paradise forum has begun, closing the area to traffic

Train services are being delayed after vandals targeted train lines near Coventry, rail bosses have said.

Image source, West Midlands Fire Service

West Midlands Fire Service said they were called to a series of small fires in the Canley area.

A spokesman for Network Rail said they were alerted to the fires at 05:30, which were put out by 07:45, adding investigations into the causes are "ongoing".

"As soon as we have worked out the extent of the damage that the fire has caused we will carry out full repairs to open the train lines as soon as possible," they said.

BBC Sport

Aston Villa full-back Jordan Amavi will miss the rest of the season with a ruptured anterior cruciate knee ligament.

The 21-year-old was injured during France Under-21s' 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland on Thursday.

Image source, Rex Features

A signalling problem, caused by vandalism near Canley, is causing delays of up to 60 minutes to trains between Coventry and Birmingham New Street, external. 

This is expected to continue until approximately 15:00. 

A bus is running between Coventry and Leamington Spa. 

Virgin Trains and CrossCountry services may be diverted between Rugby and Birmingham New Street, not calling at Coventry and Birmingham International.

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

Here are the top stories in the BBC WM newsroom on Monday:

- Hundreds of people took part in a candlelit vigil in Birmingham in sympathy with people affected by the Paris attacks

- Over-running engineering works and vandalism have delayed train services this morning

- The next phase of works to build the new Paradise forum has begun, completely closing the area to traffic