BBC Midlands Today

A former West Midlands Police officer has been convicted of sexually abusing 17 boys and young men.

His youngest victim was eight years old. 

Allan Richards was found guilty on 40 counts of offences including rape, sexual assault and misconduct in a public office. 

Reporter Phil Mackie will have more on this on BBC1 from 13:30. 

Monica Rimmer
Journalist, BBC Online

An ex-policeman and former Scout leader has been convicted of multiple sex offences against children as young as eight in a catalogue of abuse spanning four decades. 

Retired West Midlands Police sergeant Allan Richards, formerly of Thaxted Road, Tile Cross, Birmingham, twice used his trusted position to lure youngsters to a police station and attacked his first victim when he was running a football team as a teenage scout leader in the 1970s. 

West Midlands Police said today that its records showed that complaints were made about him and concerns were raised about his behaviour during his 30 years of police service. Although the matters, it said, were investigated and action was taken, the scale of Richards’ offending was never uncovered and safeguards were not put in place to protect the public.

A man sexually abused by a former police officer when he was eight says people who 'had an idea' of what was happening 'did nothing'.

Phil Mackie
Midlands correspondent, BBC News

An ex-police officer and scout leader has been convicted of multiple sex offences against boys and young men. 

Allan Richards, 54, served with West Midlands Police for 31 years and committed the crimes between 1976 and 2013. His youngest victim was eight-years-old.

The 40 convictions include rape, sexual assault, voyeurism and misconduct in a public office.  

Richards, who worked as a police constable between 1980 and 2011, kept a list of boys to whom he was attracted. 

The attacks took place at scout camps, swimming pools and other locations, the court heard and it was also told he used a police database to access information about young men. 

An Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation is ongoing.

A former police officer and scoutmaster has been convicted of sexually abusing 17 boys and young men.

Allan Richards, 54, served with the West Midlands force for 31 years.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Richard Wilford
BBC WM

The narrative surrounding this game inevitably focuses on Gary Rowett's return to Burton, the club which gave him his breakthrough in management - and it's fair to say the Blues boss is not entirely comfortable with it.

While he retains an affection for Burton and their chairman Ben Robinson, and indeed he has stated this week that he owes them a lot, Rowett is very much wanting to concentrate on the challenge of the game itself.

He has tried to take any sentiment away from the fixture, although with the other members of his coaching staff, as well as likely starters Jacques Maghoma and Adam Legzdins - both also past members of the Burton dressing room - that may be easier said than done.

National Rail says an operational incident at Hamstead is causing disruption to services between Walsall and Wolverhampton.

Trains are delayed and disruption is expected to last until 12:00, external. 

More than £5,000 has been raised for a group of vulnerable adults to replace money thieves stole from their Christmas party fund. 

The group at Old Tree Nursery in Wolverhampton had £1,000 stolen earlier this month - cash they had raised themselves. 

Following a report by BBC Midlands Today and a 'GoFundMe, external' campaign, the money has been replaced more than five times over. 

Image source, Old Tree Nursery

Birmingham Mail

Council chiefs in Sandwell have launched a renewed crackdown on illegal traveller camps, external – and are set to use new legal powers to move the encampments on within 24 hours.

The mother of a teenager who contracted meningitis as a baby is urging parents and students to be aware of the symptoms, external. 

Almost 22,000 people in the West Midlands have suffered life-changing effects of the illness.

Lynette Adjei from Birmingham has campaigned for 16 years on behalf of the 'Meningitis Now' charity.

She visits local universities to speak to students, as they're one of the high-risk groups.

All week you have been using Your Questions to ask about the West Midlands. Here are some of our answers.

BBC Sport

Warwickshire's Chris Woakes fell to the first ball of day two in the first test against Bangladesh in Chittagong. 

He was caught out at short leg by Mominul Haque from the bowling of Taijul Islam.

England made 293 in their first innings.

You can follow all the action here.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Sport

Blues can close the gap on the Championship's top two at Burton tonight. 

It'll be boss Gary Rowett's first return since leaving for St Andrews in October 2014. 

This is the first-ever meeting between the two sides, reuniting six Birmingham City employees with their former club. The Blues have lost just one of their last nine Championship matches.

Rowett told BBC Sport: "They've (Burton Albion) made a good strong start under Nigel (Clough). It's fantastic to see them doing well. I just hope they won't be celebrating after this game. They've already beaten Derby, Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff at home. And we don't want to be another notch on their bedpost."

You can follow the match with live commentary on BBC WM and live text commentary on the BBC Sport website. 

Got some sports kit lying around? Donate it and help young people in Birmingham to get active.

Louise Hancock
Newsreader, BBC WM

The top headlines for Birmingham and the Black Country this morning include:

- The BBC understands a 13-year-old Afghan boy has been reunited with his dad after arriving in Birmingham from Calais

- Incidents of violent crime reported to West Midlands Midlands Police have increased by 19% 

- Under half of children in Birmingham waiting for a permanent home are classed as 'hard to place'

BBC Weather

Some misty and foggy patches are possible first thing this morning ahead of a mainly dry and occasionally bright day with plenty of cloud and a few sunny spells. Highs of 12C (54F). 

Monica Rimmer
Journalist, BBC Online

Welcome to Friday's news, sport, travel and weather updates. 

I'm in the BBC WM newsroom between now and 18:00 bringing you the latest from Birmingham and the Black Country.

Comment on our stories and share your pictures with us by email, tweeting @bbcwm, external or visiting the BBC WM Facebook page, external.

We're back from 08:00 tomorrow with more news, sport, travel and weather for Birmingham and the Black Country.

Keep an eye out here for updates this evening and into the morning.  

BBC Midlands Today

Families who have their baby in Sandwell and north west Birmingham will be the first in the region to take part in a trial designed to reduce the number of babies who die young.

The boxes are made from thick cardboard and contain a foam mattress. The design helps to prevent babies from rolling onto their fronts, which has been linked to sudden infant death syndrome.

Our reporter Sarah Falkland will have more on this on BBC1 at 18:30. 

Dominic Casciani
Home Affairs Correspondent

For years traditional crimes have been falling right across the Western world, irrespective of who's in government and how many police are on the beat.

But the latest figures have captured for the first time an awful lot of criminality that, quite simply, looks like it has been missed.

If you add the official data for traditional crimes to the provisional figures for cyber and fraud, the number of offences breaches 14 million. That's still down on the 1995 peak of 19 million offences - but it's an awful lot higher than statisticians thought a year ago.

Criminality is rapidly changing and the real question is "are the police in a good place to combat it"?