Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

A jail where a watchdog claims levels of violence are "far too high", has "strong foundations in place...to drive further improvement", bosses have said.

There were 49 fights, 47 assaults on staff and 159 assaults on inmates in a six-month period at HMP Hewell, near Redditch, HM Inspectorate of Prisons said in a report published today.

Michael Spurr, chief executive of the National Offender Management Service, said the report acknowledged progress at the prison.

He added there remained "more to do, particularly on safety" but said "strong foundations that were now in place" would allow the jail to address the watchdog's recommendations to improve.

Mikey Burrows
BBC WM Sport

Saido Berahino scored twice as Albion and Villa's under-23s played out a 3-3 draw last night. 

Tonight Wolves' youngsters go to Swansea in the third round of the Checkatrade Trophy. 

It's live here on BBC WM with all the build up with the football phone-in from 17:30 GMT, and we'll keep you up to date with the first of the League Cup semi-finals tonight with Manchester United against Hull.

Image source, Getty Images

The Midlands Air Ambulance charity is buying a new helicopter with the help of £1m from the government.

The £7m addition will be bigger on the inside than current models, allowing more passengers and extra equipment to be carried.

Image source, WMAS

The charity owns one helicopter, based at RAF Cosford in Shropshire, and leases two others which are based at Tatenhill airfield in Staffordshire and Strensham Services on the M5 in Worcestershire. 

The new helicopter will be built over the next 18 months and will become operational in 2018.

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

Police have received a complaint about alleged verbal abuse and threats linked to a performance involving Morris dancers with black face-paint.

Birmingham City Centre Police Superintendent Andy Parsons, said he was aware of "issues" around the Saturday afternoon performance and officers had received one complaint.

The Alvechurch Morris dancer group, which was involved in an incident on Saturday afternoon at the Bullring in Birmingham, has not commented.  

Express and Star

A nutrition shop owner and his accomplice who smuggled £300,000 worth of illegal steroids into the Black Country have been spared jail, external.

BBC Sport

Either Liverpool or Plymouth will be at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The draw held last night pitted Sutton United, the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, against Leeds United - if they win their replay against AFC Wimbledon.

The fourth round represents the last-32 stage of the competition, and all ties are scheduled to be played from 27-30 January.

Image source, Reuters

Debate over our story of how a group of Morris dancers were heckled for their use of black face paint is continuing on social media.

The Alvechurch Morris abandoned a performance at Birmingham's Bullring on Saturday after a man filmed himself asking if it was racist.

Stuart Gotsall posted on Facebook, external: "People really need to engage their brains before shouting racist just because they haven't got a clue to what it's all about and are too lazy and ignorant to find out."

Suzanna Morris posted, external: "Not racist i think, just insensitive. Although this is a very old traditional I think black face is unacceptable in this day and age.... And really is not what Morris dancing is about."

Tom Haden posted, external: "*sigh* everyone is so quick to pull the 'racist card' these days, read up on traditions, or better yet; stop interrupting the dancers who are trying to explain why they do it and let them speak, morons."    

Plans to build thousands of homes on greenbelt land are set to be approved later.

Housing Minister Gavin Barwell gave the Sutton Coldfield scheme the go ahead in November. 

John Clancy, Labour leader of Birmingham City Council, previously told BBC WM: "We've looked at everywhere we can build on brownfield sites.

"We need to find space for another 6,000 homes. Obviously I'm not happy about this [building on greenbelt] but it is a necessity."

Image source, David Lock Associates

Levels of violence at a jail once branded "dirty and dangerous" are still "far too high", the prison watchdog has said.

There were 49 fights, 47 assaults on staff and 159 assaults on inmates in a six-month period at HMP Hewell, near Redditch, HM Inspectorate of Prisons said.

Inspectors also found overcrowded cells, broken toilets, and said drug availability was "high".

However, it described the open section of the jail as "successful".

Image source, Google

Bromsgrove MP and government minister, Sajid Javid, has denied "traditional" Morris dancers with blacked-up faces are racist.

Morris dancers from Alvechurch wearing black face paint were accused of racism during a street performance in Birmingham.  

A Worcestershire Morris dancer has denied that the tradition of performing with black faces is racist.

A troupe of Morris dancers from Alvechurch wearing black face paint was harangued during a street performance in Birmingham and accused of racism.  

Dean Clarke from Hallow dances with the Welsh Border Morris Men, who were not involved in the weekend performance, and says the face paint is not meant to cause offence.

The BBC has been unable to contact the man who posted a video of the incident on YouTube, while the Alvechurch Morris dancers have not yet commented.  

A Birmingham woman was one of two people who died after a crash on the M6 near to Corley services in the early hours of yesterday morning, police have said.

The driver was a 26-year-old man from Coventry and the passenger a 46-year-old woman from Birmingham, according to officers.

Their families have been informed and they will be formally identified later. Witnesses are being urged to contact officers on the 101 non-emergency number.

Image source, Google

Louise Hancock
Newsreader, BBC WM

Proposed funding cuts by the council could lead to the closure of some of the city's most important heritage and culture venues, external, it is claimed.

The Birmingham Museums Trust has started an online petition after the city council revealed plans to slash £500,000 every year from the museums' budget from this April until 2020.

The council is consulting the public on its proposals to save £54m each year by 2020 on top of the cuts it has already made. This £500,000 planned cut to the museums' budget would form part of that.

The deadline for responses is 18 January.

Image source, Google

BBC Travel

There is slow traffic on the A457 Sedgley Road West in Tipton at the traffic lights by Mad O'Rourke's pie factory in the roadworks area, drivers are warned.

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

Scattered cloud will thicken throughout the day. There’s the chance of some brightness with some intermittent showery rain at times. Highs of 9C (48F).

Find out more.

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

We're back with the familiar combination of news, sport, travel and weather updates.

If you see stories on which you want to have your say or have photos you want to share, email us, tweet @bbcwm, external or visit the BBC WM Facebook page, external.

Morris dancers abandon a performance after being heckled for their use of black face paint.

That's it from us today.

Join us again from 08:00 on Tuesday for more updates.

Forest Green Rovers midfielder Charlie Cooper extends his loan from Birmingham City until the end of the season.

Non-league Stourbridge's FA Cup dream is over - but maybe the squad has a new career as a boy band.

On the way to the match against Wycombe on Saturday, players were filmed performing a rendition of Glassboys terrace anthem "Benbow's On Fire", in honour of striker Luke.

They lost their third round tie 2-1.