That's it for live updates today. We'll be back from 08:00 on Wednesday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather for Birmingham and the Black Country.

BBC WM Sport

Paul Lambert's Blackburn Rovers will not be easy to turn over tonight according to Blues boss Gary Rowett. 

The game at Ewood Park will be live on BBC WM 95.6 this evening.

Striker James Vaughan, yet to score since joining on loan in January, is still out with a calf injury.  

The Conservative MP for Lichfield has apologised for swearing in the Commons. 

Michael Fabricant, who wants to leave the European Union, says he was frustrated after hearing a fellow Tory talking about the benefits of staying in.

Here he is saying sorry - by nearly spelling out the word he wished he hadn't said.

Five men from Birmingham have been jailed for staging a car crash to make £30,000 in insurance claims, City of London Police says.

Between them, the 'crash for cash' gang had worked out an elaborate scenario which drew suspicions when they retold it to insurers who found the damage to two vehicles was inconsistent with the bogus narrative.  

Image source, City of London Police

The five admitted conspiracy to commit fraud and were sentenced today at the Old Bailey.

Between them they were sentenced to a total of 37 months in prison, suspended for two years.  

Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter

A cloudy start to this evening with perhaps a few spots of rain or drizzle. Then a band of rain, possibly heavy at times with hill snow, will spread eastwards overnight. 

There'll be strengthening winds too, rather gusty by dawn with lows of 1C (34F).

Stourbridge News

Health chiefs have made another dramatic u-turn in the case of a former Wordsley councillor , externalwho was left "mortified" after being told his treatment with a revolutionary new drug was to be discontinued before he'd finished the course.  

David Lumb
BBC Midlands Today

Sport Relief kicks off later this month., external

One of the many projects to benefit is Just Ramps skate park in Wolverhampton. It's only been open three years but bosses say it's already helped thousands of youngsters. 

Many of the youngsters that attend Just Ramps come from deprived areas of the West Midlands and relatives say it's a great way of keeping them off the streets. 

You can see my report on BBC Midlands Today at 18:30. 

Michele Paduano
Health correspondent, BBC Midlands Today

Care inspectors have found that a bullying culture at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital stopped staff speaking out over concerns too many heart surgery patients were dying. 

A report says the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, external was informed its death rates were above the national average a year ago. 

Lichfield Mercury

Lichfield and Burntwood Green Party has launched a petition against Staffordshire County Council's, external proposed "sell-off" of the Friary building, current home of Lichfield Library.

Image source, Lichfield Mercury

Drivers in Wolverhampton are being warned to expect overnight roadworks in the city during the next three weeks.

The city council says Darlington Street is being resurfaced from Monday 14 March. Diversion routes will be in operation.

The family of an 85-year-old man who died after being struck by a car outside the Bullring has appealed for witnesses, external.

Abdullah Khan was crossing the road when he was hit by a Peugeot 206 one week ago. He died in hospital two days later.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Police have released a family statement: "He was a doting husband, father and grandfather and will be sorely missed by all of his family. We ask that anyone who knows or saw anything of the collision to contact the police.’’

A 32-year-old man is continuing to assist the police with their inquiries.  

Tamworth Herald

Major plans to improve links between Tamworth Rail Station and the town centre have been revealed, external – as residents now get the chance to have their say on them.

Image source, Tamworth Herald

Unions have reacted angrily to the announcement that energy firm Npower is to cut 2,400 jobs in the UK by 2018.

Unison warned the job losses would deal a "devastating blow" to communities across the UK.

In the Midlands, the Burton-upon-Trent site will shut at the end of this year with the loss of 150 jobs. Seventy new posts will be created at Npower's Worcester base.

Cannock Mercury

A task force set up to work together in order to try and mitigate the impact of the proposed closure of Rugeley Power Station has met for the first time.  , external

Image source, Cannock Mercury

Daz Hale
BBC WM

Travellers served with an eviction notice are moving on from a car park in Cannock.

The first group of caravans moved onto the land at Chase Leisure Centre last Tuesday., external

Express and Star

A Black Country council is sitting on £250,000 worth of funding support to help people, external with short-term rent problems, it has been claimed.

The M6 was closed for nearly 24 hours in February after an accident.

A leaked report says there is no record of nearby Birmingham and Solihull councils being informed of the seriousness of the problems.

Chris Blakemore
BBC WM

I've just been speaking to the police about an attack on a taxi driver in Dudley last month.

Mohammed Ahmed had his skull fractured on Sunday 28 February in Bell Street South, Brierley Hill.

Police say they want to speak to a female passerby who they think might have seen something. , external

Detective sergeant Leighton Shingles has also told me that it was an argument about driving and nothing to do with the fact he is a taxi driver.

BBC Midlands Today
Hilary McConnell, Producer

If you were affected by the M6 closure last month then you need to watch the programme at 18:30. 

Our transport correspondent Peter Plisner looks at a leaked Highways England report which catalogues the decisions that were made and what went wrong.  

We’ll also have the latest on a CQC report into heart surgery at QE Hospital and we meet a super-fan of the Birmingham Conservatoire – 1,000 shows and still going strong.

The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner says Highways England has some real questions to answer about how it handled the closure of the M6 near Castle Bromwich for almost 24 hours last month. 

A debrief report obtained by the BBC lists failings including poor communication and a lack of coordinated response after a fatal accident.

Highways England has apologised and says it takes safety extremely seriously and continues to investigate what happened.    

Image source, Paul Saull