Just over 13% of "modern slavery” victims helped by the Salvation Army in 2015/16 were referred from the West Midlands, according to new data.

The charity says it supported 1,805 people in England and Wales during the period – nearly a five-fold increase in the number since 2012.

Anne Read, director of anti-trafficking and modern slavery at the Salvation Army, said the nature of the crime meant it was "always difficult to know the full extent of the problem" and the increase in referrals could be because there were more victims but also "improvements in training and awareness-raising".

BBC Weather Watchers

BBC Weather Watcher Darlaston sent in this picture of grey skies over the Walsall suburb.

If you would like to join up and send in your photos of where you live, click here.

Image source, Darlaston

The TIMES says it's learnt that Theresa May is to ditch former Chancellor George Osborne's plan for directly elected mayors in city regions., external

The report says the PM is not enthused by the concept of one person in charge of powers and cash devolved from Whitehall. 

According to the newspaper, Mrs May is also said to be nervous that the policy would boost Labour moderates such as Andy Burnham, who's hoping to be elected mayor of Manchester next year.

Image source, Getty Images

In the West Midlands, the metro mayor would represent Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, and Wolverhampton.

Birmingham Mail

A drunk restaurant boss drove at more than 115mph, external as he was chased through Birmingham by police before crashing into a wooden fence.

BBC Travel

One lane is still closed on M6 northbound between J10, A454 (Walsall) and J10a M54, because of emergency repairs.  

It follows a fatal crash at the weekend.

BBC Midlands Today

More than half a million people in the West Midlands have taken part in clinical trials in the last decade - a greater number of participants than anywhere else in the country.

Drugs firms are choosing this area to carry out trials because of the diverse population and the number of hospitals and universities involved in medical research. 

For patients, it gives access to new drugs and treatments not available on the NHS and more on this story on BBC Midlands Today at 18:30.

A four-month-old baby girl has died after the car she was in collided with another vehicle in Walsall.

Several people were taken to hospital after the Ford Focus in which the infant was travelling hit a BMW in Birmingham Road on Friday evening, shutting the road for several hours., external West Midlands Police said she was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Sgt Chris Ridge said: "A young baby has tragically died, this is devastating for her family and our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time."

The M6 motorway between Wolverhampton and Walsall has now reopened after a fatal crash closed the northbound carriageway for about 15 hours.

One person died when a car, a lorry and a van pulling a trailer crashed between junctions 10 and 10a on Sunday at about 15:00.

Image source, West Midlands Fire Service

Major repair work was needed to the motorway surface, with leaking fuel suspected to have caused damage, said West Midlands Police.  

The hard shoulder could remain shut for repairs for two days.

Here's the latest from the newsroom:

- The M6 motorway between Wolverhampton and Walsall reopens after a fatal crash on Sunday afternoon

- Four-month-old baby girl dies after the car she was in collided with another vehicle in Walsall

- Water company Severn Trent is tripling its intake of apprentices, welcoming the largest number of new recruits the company has ever taken on

Express and Star

Prostitution is on the rise in a Black Country community ‘blighting’ the area according to locals who have blamed a lack of police presence, external for an increase in problems this year.

Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter

A dull and cloudy start to the week but it will become drier through the day. 

Tomorrow looks better, though, as it'll be brighter and feeling warmer.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a young boy after a collision with a tipper vehicle in Wolverhampton on Saturday. 

The three-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene in Keats Road. 

Specialist police officers are supporting his family. The driver of the vehicle was described as "very shaken" following the incident. 

Joanne Malin
BBC Midlands Today

Warwickshire will stage a trial of day-night cricket at Edgbaston this week to see if it could work for test matches in England. 

Image source, Getty Images

The Bears' second XI match against Worcestershire, which starts today, will be played under the floodlights and use a pink ball. 

The cricket authorities hope day-night fixtures will attract more spectators. 

Stephanie Barnard
BBC Local Live

What a fortnight it's been - world records smashed and a best-ever medal haul for Team GB. 

The global festival that is the Olympics drew to a close in Rio last night with a carnival-inspired closing ceremony at the Maracana Stadium - here are the highlights of the closing ceremony last night...

It was sad to see Team GB's men's 4x400m relay team disqualified over the weekend in the semi-final.

The team includes Birchfield Harrier Matthew Hudson-Smith who was ruled to have had part of his foot out of the takeover zone when he began running.

BBC Midlands Today

The water company Severn Trent is tripling its intake of apprentices this year, welcoming the largest number of new recruits the company has ever taken on. 

More than 800 people applied for the scheme, external and 81 were recruited. 

The apprentices will train in a variety of engineering and digital roles.  

Rihanna and Justin Bieber were among hundreds of acts who entertained the crowds at V Festival.

BBC Travel

- One lane is closed on the M6 northbound between J10, A454 (Walsall) and J10a M54, because of emergency repairs. Traffic is queuing to J8 M5

- There's slow traffic on the A460 in both directions in Featherstone between the M54 J1 junction and the M6 J11 junction

- There's stop-start traffic on M5 northbound between J2, A4123 (Oldbury) and M6 J8

BBC Weather

It will be rather cloudy today, with scattered showers during the morning. These will slowly ease from midday, allowing the cloud to gradually thin and break with some sunny intervals developing later - highs of 22C (72F).

Good morning. How was the weekend?

Welcome to Monday's live service for the Birmingham and Black Country area.

We're here with the news, sport and travel as it happens and will shortly bring you this morning's weather forecast.