Good eveningpublished at 18:00
Local Live has finished for the day. We are back from 08:00 on Friday with more news, sport, travel and weather. Join us then.
Summary
Updates on Thursday 7 January 2016
News, sport, travel and weather updates to resume at 08:00 on Friday
Good eveningpublished at 18:00
'People smuggling' accused wanted in Belgiumpublished at 17:56
Two men accused of being part of a people-smuggling network responsible for transporting up to 20 migrants a night into the UK have been arrested.
The men, aged 33 and 37 and both Iraqi nationals, were detained on European Arrest Warrants at separate addresses in Eccles, Salford and Bordesley Green, Birmingham on Thursday.
The operation was co-ordinated by the National Crime Agency, with help from police officers from Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.
The pair are wanted by the authorities in Belgium and are now expected to appear before Westminster Magistrates Court on Friday where extradition proceedings will begin.
Coming up on TV: Giant asparagus in January and a construction boompublished at 17:51
Nick Owen
Presenter, BBC Midlands TodayThe unseasonal weather has seen an early crop of giant asparagus and we will have more on the 13-year high in office building in Birmingham.
More on these stories and others on BBC One at 18:30.
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End of twitter postJamar Walker: Smethwick murder-accused appears in courtpublished at 17:45
A 17-year-old from the Black Country has appeared in court charged with murder and attempted murder.
Jamar Walker, aged 15, from Handsworth was stabbed to death in Smethwick - another teenager was stabbed in the back a few days before Christmas.
The youth who has been charged, and cannot be named for legal reasons, has been remanded into youth custody before appearing before Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday.
Why GPs are leaving the NHSpublished at 17:35
Michele Paduano
Health correspondent, BBC Midlands TodayResearchers at Staffordshire University have been part of a study into why GPs are leaving the NHS.
More than half of those questioned who had left their jobs in the past five years said it was because of an increase in bureaucracy, as well as a reduction in time for patient care.
The Department of Health says it knows GPs are currently under pressure and they're looking to recruit 5,000 more doctors in general practice by 2020.
They also say they'll cut red tape.
Travel: Severe delays on the M6 and Black Country Routepublished at 17:25
BBC TravelOne lane is blocked and there is slow traffic on the M6 northbound between J8 for the M5 interchange and J9 for Wednesbury because of a breakdown.
Drivers are meanwhile being warned of severe delays on the Black Country Route eastbound in Bilston from the junction with Hare Street after an earlier crash.
Watch: Latest weather forecast for the West Midlandspublished at 17:14
Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands TodayIt's drier, brighter but it's going to be colder. Find out more about what's in store for us this afternoon.
Media caption, Shefali Oza presents the afternoon's weather forecast for the West Midlands
Latest: Mouse droppings at Burger King; Birmingham extremist networks 'infiltrated'; coroner's appeal for helppublished at 17:05
Alex Homer
BBC Local LiveHere is a recap of the news we have been reporting:
- Burger King has been fined £12,000 after mouse droppings were found at a Birmingham branch during a planned inspection
- An undercover officer has told an Old Bailey jury how he spent months infiltrating alleged extremist networks across Birmingham
- Birmingham's coroner is asking for the public's help to decide on reopening inquests into the 1974 pub bombings in the city
Watchdogs remove Tamworth care homes from special measurespublished at 16:40
Two care homes in Tamworth that were rapped by health watchdogs following an inspection have been told that they have made "sufficient improvements" to come out of special measures, external.
Image source, Tamworth HeraldMouse droppings found at Birmingham Bullring Burger Kingpublished at 16:23
Bethan Bell
BBC News OnlineBurger King has been fined £12,000 after mouse droppings were found at a Birmingham branch during a planned inspection.
Health inspectors found the fast food restaurant in the Bullring had evidence of "mouse activity throughout the premises", including food preparation areas.
Parent company, Caspian Food Services also had to pay £1,389 in court costs.
The branch has since been re-inspected and given a top hygiene rating.
Officer 'infiltrated extremist networks' in Birmingham, jurors toldpublished at 15:56
Dominic Casciani
Home Affairs CorrespondentAn undercover officer has told an Old Bailey jury how he spent months infiltrating alleged extremist networks across Birmingham.
Image source, Julia QuenzlerThe man, known only as Muhamed, said his objectives included identifying anyone planning to travel to Syria.
During his 10-month deployment he identified three men, the court heard.
Anas Abdalla and Mahamuud Diini deny preparing for acts of terrorism. Separately, Gabriel Rasmus pleaded guilty to the same offence.
Wolverhampton not a city, says think-tankpublished at 15:44
"Ludicrous". That was the verdict of a stunned council leader after hearing that Wolverhampton is not considered to be a city by a leading economic think-tank, external, based on its "economic activity".
Latest: Headteacher charges over child images; Smethwick murder charge; coroner's public appealpublished at 15:24
Alex Homer
BBC Local LiveHere are the top stories in the BBC WM newsroom on Thursday afternoon:
- A Stourbridge primary school head teacher has been charged with six counts of making indecent images of a child
- A 17-year-old has been charged with the murder of Jamar Walker, who was stabbed in Smethwick last month
- Birmingham's Coroner is asking for the public's help to decide on reopening inquests into the 1974 pub bombings in the city
Takeover for five Birmingham children's homespublished at 15:05
Adrian Goldberg
Presenter, BBC WMFive children's homes in Birmingham are to be taken over by the Priory group which is best-known for its celebrity rehab clinic.
Priory Education Services, part of the group, already has a partnership in Birmingham to help with mental health care at the children's hospital. It will start the new contract in April.
It is predicted the deal will be worth £40m over the next 10 years.
Councillor Brigid Jones, cabinet member for children's services, said: "Our absolute priority is that our young people have the best possible childhood which is why we made the decision to bring in a specialist agency to run our homes."
Flood wall erected to protect homes near Perry Barrpublished at 14:46
Great Barr ObserverA new 175 metre-long flood wall has been built alongside the River Tame near Perry Barr.
Image source, @EnvAgencyMidsDeath case police made 'wrong decisions'published at 14:24
"Wrong decisions" were made in an inquiry over the death of a man originally thought to have died after drinking, police have admitted.
Officers at first did not treat Stephen Phillips's death as suspicious after he was found in his Wolverhampton flat.
Image source, West Midlands PoliceHis family became suspicious when they found two mobile phones were missing.
Tests proved he had been struck before he fell. Lewis Thornton, 24, has been jailed for 10 years for Mr Phillips' manslaughter and robbery.
Coroner asks for public's help to decide on reopening pub bombing inquestspublished at 14:00
Elizabeth Glinka
BBC Midlands TodayThe Birmingham Coroner is appealing for witnesses and relatives of those affected by the pub bombings in 1974 to come forward.
She needs to decide whether there is enough evidence to continue the inquests of those who were killed.
Members of the victims' families, including Julie Hambleton and former policeman Bill Craig, explain why the inquests are so important to them.
Two Cannock women charged in connection with death of Stafford manpublished at 13:44
Three further people, including two women from Cannock, have been charged with offences in connection with the death of Stafford man Carl Tindall, external.
Inquiries continue into Jamar Walker's death despite murder chargepublished at 13:22
The West Midlands force stressed inquiries into the death of Jamar Walker were continuing after the youth's charge we reported earlier.
Mr Walker was found injured in Raglan Road, Smethwick at around 02:20 on Sunday 20 December. He was taken to hospital, where he died.
A 17-year-old man also suffered a minor stab injury to his lower back and was treated at hospital following the incident.
Coming up on TV: Birmingham construction projects thrivingpublished at 13:06
BBC Midlands TodayComing up 13:30 on BBC One Peter Plisner reports on a booming time for construction projects in Birmingham.
We'll also bring you news of a youth charged with the murder of 15-year-old Jamar Walker outside a pub in Smethwick before Christmas.
And a primary school head teacher is charged with six counts of making indecent images of a child.
