Birmingham top destination for migrating Londoners
Schools chief 'told to go if pregnant'
Reduced capacity for Blues-Villa derby
Baby died from 'catastrophic' injuries
Star Trek celebration beams down to Brum
Edgbaston to host first day-night test to be played in England
Updates from Friday 7 October 2016
Image source, BeefyBBC Weather Watcher Beefy sent in this amazing picture from Halesowen.
If you've got a photo you're proud of and want to share, you can send it to us over email, Twitter, external or our Facebook page, external.
London Midland says it'll operate a bus replacement service between Stratford-upon-Avon and Birmingham Snow Hill , externalthis weekend, for upgrade work to a railway bridge near Henley-in-Arden.
Hasan Shah, from Network Rail, said: "There's never an ideal time to do this kind of work but railways and roads have to be maintained."
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Among the cuts being proposed by Cannock Chase District Council as it faces "the most difficult financial position ever" are axing Christmas light funding, CCTV and council posts. , external
Image source, GoogleThe authority's also suggesting raising fees at Cannock Market Hall and increasing parking charges by 10p an hour to raise £50,000.
The council's launched a six-week consultation with four public meetings, external and an online survey as it looks to achieve a saving of £1.6m.
A city-wide ban to tackle illegal street races and anti-social driving comes into force across Birmingham later this month.
The High Court Order will see those who are guilty receiving driving bans, fines up to £5,000 or their vehicle seized and crushed.
Solihull Council has recently obtained a similar injunction across the borough, in addition to an order already in force across the Black Country's four council areas.
Two thugs who high-fived each other after an ‘abhorrent and cowardly’ attack on two innocent people, external in Dudley have been locked up for one year.
St Andrew's will have a reduced capacity of 25,000 for the local derby between Birmingham City and Aston Villa on 30 October.
Read More
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online
Birmingham is the most popular destination for people moving from London, official figures show, but I have the sense not everyone believes it.
Can Birmingham live up to all the English capital has to offer? Can a sophisticated metropolitan from The Smoke cope in the West Midlands? Is Second City always second best? Here's some choice info from our handy 'survival guide' for those thinking of making the switch...
Hipster hangouts
If you wear clever trousers and are missing Shoreditch, Brum's Jewellery Quarter is the place to go in search of handlebar moustaches, external, ill-judged Penny Farthing wheelies and ping-pong paddles for plates. You can play board games, external in our pubs - but not just ironically... you can do it ironically, ironically. Or how about rummaging in our vintage clothes shops? But only the ones no one knows about. The ones that play only Finnish b-sides from 1987.
Terms of affection
Look at 'babe' with its fancy 'e' at the end. There's none of that stuff in Brum. Here we go for efficiency. It's 'bab' and 'bab' only. Lose a vowel and fit right in.
Boating
Image source, Getty ImagesLondon might have the River Thames but we have more canals than Venice., external Our cities are connected by the Grand Union canal - the longest in the UK at 137 miles. There's no more relaxing way to explore your new surroundings than on a canal boat tour, external.
Birmingham is the most popular destination for people moving from London. Four people who made the move over the years describe the pros and the cons.
Read MoreWe've had a damp and drizzly start to the day with plenty of cloud around, however the rain should clear as the day goes by. Highs of 15C (59F)
A cloudy night with a couple of spots of rain and lows of 10C (50F).
Latest weather for the West Midlands
A railway bridge near Henley-in-Arden is being replaced by Network Rail engineers, external this weekend.
The £2m upgrade, on a road beneath the line at Blunts Green, Warwickshire, requires a full closure of the line between Stratford-on-Avon and Birmingham Snow Hill stations from late Friday night to early Monday morning.
Image source, Network RailStar Trek's William Shatner is among a host of cast members who have beamed down to Birmingham to celebrate 50 years of the franchise.
Read More
Louise Hancock
Newsreader, BBC WM
This afternoon's headlines for Birmingham and the Black Country:
- Birmingham is the most popular destination for people moving from London, official figures show
- Former Blues player Howard Gayle says he turned down an MBE because it was "against my values"
- A group of vulnerable adults say they're "devastated" after thieves ransacked their training centre in Wolverhampton, stealing £1,000 which they'd raised themselves
BBC Midlands Today
A football historian says an Edwardian goalkeeper who died in an attack on the Somme 100 years ago today deserves more recognition.
Historian Spencer Vignes talks about Leigh Roose
Leigh Roose, external made his name at Stoke City's old Victoria ground, playing more than 150 games for the Potters in the 1900s.
He also turned out for Aston Villa and Port Vale, becoming a national celebrity.
Historian Spencer Vignes, author of Lost in France, says the player was football's "first household name" but is largely forgotten today.
Thinking of taking the leap from London to Birmingham? Here's a survival guide to help you make a smooth transition.
Read MoreThe former West Midlands UKIP MEP Nikki Sinclaire says when she was a member of the party she witnessed violent behaviour at party meetings.
And she described the confrontation yesterday, which left MEP Steven Woolfe needing hospital treatment, as "not very edifying".
Image source, Getty ImagesMs Sinclaire left the party in 2010 after a difference of opinion over the party's direction and she said there was a lot of frustration among members, because it was a "melting pot" of people from different political backgrounds.
But her claims were disputed by current UKIP MEP Roger Helmer, who said he had never seen violent confrontations between UKIP representatives.
Charlotte Harriman
Journalist, BBC WM
A trade union says its members at children's social services in Sandwell could be prepared to take industrial action if a plan to overhaul the department affects their pay and pensions.
It was confirmed yesterday by the government that the department - which has been rated inadequate - is going to be run by a trust instead of the local authority.
Tony Barnsley from UNISON told BBC WM he had concerns about the impact on staff.
"If the government is to believe this is not about attacking our members' pay and pensions, we're seeking urgent guarantees on those. If our fears and our members' fears are correct, then they're ready to take industrial action to defend themselves."
Raj Kaur Bilkhu
As we've been reporting throughout the day, Birmingham is the top destination for migrating Londoners.
On Facebook, external, we've been asking whether any of you have moved from London to the second city - and why.
Image source, Facebook
Image source, FacebookA kitten that became stuck in a car engine is looking for a new home.
It was discovered when motorist Wayne Rutter pulled over after he heard a meow about 10 miles into his journey.
He said: "I couldn’t work out where the sound was coming from at first. I finally twigged [it] was coming from the front of the car, and sure enough, when I popped up the bonnet, there he was - looking at me with terrified eyes."
Mr Rutter called the RSPCA, which took in the kitten - suffering from a few infections - and nursed him back to health.
Image source, RSPCAThe cat - named Ayrton after racing driver Ayrton Senna - had no microchip and no owner was found. A home is now being sought.
Image source, RSPCABirmingham is the most popular destination for people moving from London, official figures show.
Tom Cullen, the founder of e-magazine I Choose Birmingham, external, lived in London for 13 years.
He said: "Birmingham will never have culture, entertainment, food and drink on the level that London does, but it does offer a brilliant blend of all of the above and affordable housing, and good school options.
"Perhaps, most importantly, though, people are no longer embarrassed to say they live in, or are moving to, Birmingham. Those who still have a negative impression of the second city - and it certainly is the second city - either haven't visited in the last three years or simply will not allow their opinion to be changed.
"Brum has a swagger to it now. It doesn't care what the rest of the nation thinks because it is self-assured, it's comfortable in the knowledge that it's an incredible city, whether other Brits agree or not."
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Cannock Chase is "facing the most difficult financial position ever," according to the leader of the council.
The local authority's unveiled total plans for £2.1m cuts a year, external as it faces a funding deficit that peaks at £2.15m in 2018-19.
Image source, GoogleThe council's drawn up a financial recovery plan which includes proposed cuts, external to CCTV, council offices and positions, as well as raising parking charges and market fees.
Its leader George Adamson says they are looking at "difficult decisions" because of issues like the early closure of Rugeley Power Station and the loss of government funding by 2019.
