Sarah Falkland
BBC Midlands Today

We’re live at an Argos distribution centre on today, Black Friday and we are counting the hours until we announce the winner of our BBC Midlands Sports Unsung Hero award.

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

Daniel Wainwright
Data unit - English regions

Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City are in the top 10 of Championship clubs for the most supporters subject to football banning orders.

The number of football banning orders issued has fallen for the fourth consecutive year however, according to official figures.

Home Office figures reveal there were 2,181 fans banned at start of the latest season, compared with 2,273 the year before.

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

After what it called an "impressive drop" in offenders, the council said cameras were now planned to be installed in three more bus lanes with fines of £60 - dropping to £30 if paid within 14 days - to start from 4 January.

New cameras are due to be installed in:

- Pipers Row between Berry Street / Railway Drive

- Market Street between Bilston Street / Tower Street

- Stafford Street between Fox’s Lane / Cannock Road

Sutton Coldfield Local

Sutton Coldfield’s Good Hope Hospital has launched a six-month pilot, external that will help patients needing extra support to return home from hospital sooner.  

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

Drivers have been fined nearly half a million pounds for driving illegally in bus lanes since June in Wolverhampton.

Since taking over bus lane enforcement from police, the council said it fined 21,544 motorists and had so far recovered £468,755 after using cameras at six locations across the city.

The authority said drivers were increasingly getting the message about the offence as cameras caught 11,198 motorists illegally driving in bus lanes in June, which fell to 3,319 in October.

It comes after the AA warned in September that fines for misusing bus lanes were overtaking parking tickets as the main cause of complaints from drivers.

Women expecting twins or triplets are experiencing poor antenatal care in some areas of England, a report from the Twins and Multiple Births Association and the NCT suggests.

Image source, Thinkstock

A survey of 1,400 parents suggested patients in the South East and West Midlands received the worst care, while those in the North East had the best.

NICE guidelines on antenatal care had not been implemented, the report said.

Walsall Advertiser

A fire that took hold of a shop in Walsall yesterday afternoon was "accidental", West Midlands Fire Service has confirmed, external.  

Image source, Walsall Advertiser

BBC Sport

Championship side Brighton sign Manchester United striker James Wilson and Wolves winger Rajiv van La Parra on loan.

Image source, Empics

Birmingham Eastside

In the Spending review 2015 and the Autumn statement, external, the government announced that it will scrap the initial plans to adopt an age cap for the postgraduate loan scheme, external proposed by the coalition last Autumn.  

Rumours circulating on social media about the safety and security of visitors to Birmingham as "unhelpful", West Midlands Police say.

The force has asked people to remain alert but not alarmed, external when visiting crowded places across the region. 

The current security state across the country is at its second highest level - severe.

Daz Hale
BBC WM

The queues were notoriously absent at Brierley Hill's Merry Hill shopping centre at 08:00 but only time will tell if Black Friday will be a damp squib.

Wolves are to remain without defender Kortney Hause, who has suffered a recurrence of his hamstring injury.

Image source, Getty Images

A "notorious gang member" is jailed for 16 and a half years after a firearms supply ring he led was smashed in an undercover sting, say police.

Nosakhere Stephenson masterminded an operation to sell antique firearms and specially-made bullets to criminals, said West Midlands Police.

Image source, West Midlands Police

He and five other men were jailed after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply guns in Birmingham and beyond.

Another 12 men await sentencing at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday.

A young referee killed in a terror attack in Tunisia is to be recognised with a BBC Get Inspired Unsung Hero Special Award.

Joel Richards, from Wednesbury, was killed alongside uncle Adrian Evans, grandfather Patrick Evans and 35 others in the terrorist attacks near Sousse, Tunisia, this year.

Image source, Suzy Evans

Now the 19-year-old Walsall fan's family will be presented with the award this evening.

The Black Friday sales have begun, but early signs are that UK stores have seen smaller crowds than last year.  

UK stores opened their doors early and cut-price deals were put online overnight, with analysts predicting record sales.

Consultants Experian and online retail group IMRG are forecasting online purchases will hit £1.07bn, the first time they have passed £1bn in one day.

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

Here are the top stories in the BBC WM newsroom:

- A "notorious gang member" long linked to Birmingham's Burger Bar Boys has been jailed for 16 and a half years

- A young referee killed in a terror attack in Tunisia is to be recognised with a BBC Get Inspired Unsung Hero Special Award

- Shops are preparing for Black Friday sales rushes

A police officer wholied to hide his errors when responding to a fight at a pizza parlourhas been sacked.

Image source, Google

Insp Jaswant Singh was called by a sergeant to give back-up at the Olivio pizza takeaway in Stourbridge.

But he stayed outside the venue and would not have been able to properly risk-assess the incident. His account was also described as "implausible".

It may be Black Friday but it looks rather grey today weather wise. Take a look what is in store for later.

BBC Travel

One lane is closed on the M54 eastbound between J3 for Albrighton and J2 for Wolverhampton because of a shed load, in the roadworks area, drivers are warned.

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

I'm back in the BBC WM newsroom bringing the latest news, sport, travel and weather updates on Friday.

Want to comment on our stories or have you got some photos you would like to share of Birmingham and the Black Country? Email us or tweet @bbcwm, external.