West Midlands Police has begun a campaign urging communities to safeguard girls at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM).

Image source, West Midlands Police

It coincides with a conference in Birmingham exploring FGM issues. 

As part of the police campaign, posters (above) are planned to go up at doctors’ surgeries, while letters have been sent to schools urging them to back the force's message by holding awareness sessions in the classroom.

Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

The Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross has admitted to BBC Radio Stoke that his side didn't "turn up" in the opening 30 minutes on Saturday.

Image source, Dave Thompson/Getty Images

The Potters lost 1-0 to West Brom with the goal conceded in the sixth minute.

Police say a man, 90, jailed for sexually abusing a boy as his wife slept in another room took advantage by purporting to be someone who might adopt him.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Ex-social services worker Frederick Cranston, known as Bill, was working night shifts when he met the boy at a centre in Birmingham for children seeking foster families and long-term care.

In the 1980s, the boy was subjected to a campaign of abuse from the age of 11 and throughout his teens at locations that, in addition to the centre, included Cranston's Castle Bromwich home - "often", the West Midlands Force said, as his wife slept nearby.

Cranston admitted eight sexual offences, including three counts of serious sexual assault.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Det Con Jonathan Barker said: "He regularly sneaked into the boy’s bedroom when working night shifts at the home and inappropriately touched him under the sheets.

"He created the facade of a caring father figure − someone who might potentially adopt the boy − and managed to secure regular weekend stays at his home."

The construction group that put a retractable roof on Centre Court at Wimbledon has been appointed to build Wolverhampton's new railway station.

Galliford Try, according to City of Wolverhampton Council, is one of the UK's leading construction groups.

Image source, City of Wolverhampton Council

Plans to demolish the existing station and replace it with a new, multimillion-pound building were approved in November.

Galliford Try built Birmingham Dental Hospital, Resorts World at the NEC and Hotel La Tour in Birmingham.

The new station building is expected to be completed in early 2019.

The fare dodger ranted and lashed out at London Midland staff after refusing to buy a £2.20 ticket.

A man who abused a boy at a centre for children seeking foster families has been jailed for a string of historical sex offences against the youngster.

Police say ex-social services worker Frederick Cranston, known as Bill, molested his victim at the Birmingham site in the 1980s during night shift rounds.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Cranston, 90, from Castle Bromwich, admitted three counts of serious sexual assault, four of indecent assault and one charge of gross indecency with a child. He has been jailed for 12 years.

He began his campaign of abuse when the boy was 11 and it continued throughout his teens.

Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter

A cloudy afternoon is in store with some showers arriving later and highs of 6C (43F).

The case of a man's body found by police searching for a missing motorway crash driver has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) "as a matter of course in these circumstances", the West Midlands force says.

A specialist team made the discovery on Sunday evening following a two-day search.

The officers were looking for Zahid Mirza, 40, from Chelmsley Wood, Solihull, after initial searches found no trace of him following his crash through a barrier on the M6 near Coleshill, Warwickshire, three weeks earlier.

The body - found in an area of waste ground adjacent to the motorway - has yet to be formally identified and a post-mortem examination is due. Mr Mirza's family has been informed of the find.

Follow live text and Radio London commentary from the Premier League as West Ham United take on West Bromwich Albion.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

Confidential reports, released today,, external into two police operations in Staffordshire concluded there was no evidence to supports concerns raised by a former police inspector that there may have been miscarriages of justice. 

One of the cases was the killing of Floyd Dodson whose body was found inside a barrel in south Staffordshire in 1999 - a man was convicted of his manslaughter in 2003.

The other operation happened in 2006 when a cash handling centre was ram-raided in Tamworth - in 2007 four men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle and three others were acquitted after a trial.

In March 2012, after concerns were raised by a former Staffordshire Police inspector, centred on claims of "improper reward payments" made to witnesses, Cheshire Police were called in to carry out an independent review of both operations. 

Supt John Armstrong, who carried the review out, says in both cases payments were made but were recorded, disclosed to the prosecution team and the trial judge and there's no evidence of miscarriages of justice. 

In his report, which have been released in redacted form today, external, he admits he didn't interview any serving Staffordshire Police officers or members of staff to reach his conclusions.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with a shooting at a Birmingham nightclub at the weekend, police say, external.

A 30-year-old man was shot in the leg during a disturbance at Second City Suite in Sherlock Street on Saturday. He remains in a stable condition in hospital.

The arrested pair, aged 43 and 24, have been bailed on strict conditions.

Image source, Google

It brings the arrest tally to six. Four men had been arrested and bailed previously; two on suspicion of firearms offences and a further pair on suspicion of assault.

Det Supt Tom Chisholm said: “We continue to piece together the circumstances of the shooting and I would urge anyone who has not yet spoken to us and has any information - regardless of how insignificant you think it may be - to please get in touch."

A conference tackling issues surrounding female genital mutilation (FGM) is under way in Birmingham.

It's been organised by Birmingham Against Female Genital Mutilation (BAFGM) and kick starts a new West Midlands Police campaign that urges communities to speak out against the practice and safeguard vulnerable girls.

Below is just one of the issues being discussed - the attitude towards "uncut" girls from the families of peers who have been subjected to FGM. 

The body, thought to be that of Zahid Mirza from Chelmsley Wood, lay in waste ground near the M6.

BBC WM Sport

The controversy surrounding Saido Berahino shows no sign of stopping after the player's return to West Bromwich Albion with new club Stoke on Saturday.

Image source, Reuters

Albion won the game 1-0 - two days after newspaper reports claimed Berahino had served a suspension while at the Baggies in connection with an out-of-competition drugs test.

Stoke boss Mark Hughes said he was disappointed with the timing of the information coming to light, with club captain Ryan Shawcross claiming Albion was the source.

He said: "Someone from West Brom's side must have been speaking to the papers and I was very disappointed with that. I didn't think it was needed."

Baggies boss Tony Pulis was asked about the controversy but preferred to focus on his team.

Police say their initial searches for a missing motorway crash driver uncovered "no trace" of him.

Image source, West Midlands Police

It comes as the West Midlands force revealed that after a renewed two-day hunt this weekend, specialist officers had found a body.

The family of Zahid Mirza, 40, from Chelmsley Wood, Solihull, had not seen him since his car crashed through a barrier on the M6 near Coleshill, Warwickshire, on 15 January. 

Mr Mirza's family has been informed of the discovery of the body, which is yet to be formally identified.

Image source, Mirza family

Det Sgt Tom Chisholm said: “At the time of the collision in January, a search was made of the immediate area, but there was no trace of the driver.

"Following inquiries, we discovered that Mr Mirza’s family have had no contact with him since then, so specialist officers have been in the area over the past two days carrying out searches.

"Yesterday evening [Sunday] the search team discovered the body of a man in an inaccessible area of waste ground. 

"The body has not been formally identified, but family liaison officers have notified Mr Mirza’s family and are supporting them."

A body has been found by police hunting for a man who has not been seen by his family since his car crashed through a barrier on the M6 last month.

Relatives of Zahid Mirza, 40, from Chelmsley Wood, Solihull, have been informed of the discovery, police say, external. The body has not been formally identified.

Image source, West Midlands Police

The West Midlands Force said following two days of intensive searching by specialist officers, a body was found "in an inaccessible area of waste ground adjacent to the motorway".

The crash happened on 15 January between junction five and 4a, near Coleshill, Warwickshire.

Bed occupancy at each of the West Midlands' hospitals trusts is at an unsafe level, with one in Birmingham posing greater risk to patients than any other in the region, BBC research shows.

Image source, Science Photo Library

To minimise the risk of infections and delays in getting treatment, hospitals are meant to have no more than 85% of beds occupied.

In the period reviewed by the BBC, 1 December 2016 to 22 January of this year, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust - which runs Queen Elizabeth Hospital - had the highest bed occupancy rate, at just under 99%.

Analysis shows that across England, 137 out of 152 hospital trusts have been above the rate of 85% since the start of December, with more than 60 trust above 90%.

NHS bosses say hospitals have had major problems discharging frail patients.  

Police remain concerned for the safety of a man who went missing following a motorway car crash.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Zahid Mirza, 40, from Chelmsley Wood, has not been seen by his family since his car crashed through the barrier on the M6 southbound carriageway between junctions five and 4a on 15 January.

Police fear he may have come to harm and searches are being carried out at the scene. 

A woman died and her husband was injured in a car crash in Brierley Hill.

Police are now seeking witnesses to the collision in which the woman, 74, sustained severe head and spinal injuries. Her husband, 85, who was driving the car, received hospital treatment for minor injuries.

Image source, Google

Officers were called to Pedmore Road, at the junction with The Gateway, at about 14:00 on Friday.

A 23-year-old man, from Brierley Hill, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and later bailed pending further inquiries.  

Investigations are continuing into a shooting at a nightclub in Birmingham on Saturday evening.

Image source, Google

Four men have been arrested - two on suspicion of firearms offences - following the disturbance at Second City Suite in Sherlock Street, Birmingham.

A 30-year-old man who was shot in the leg is in a stable condition in hospital.