Lisa Wright
Journalist, BBC News Online

Earlier today a serious case review was published into the events leading up to the killing of an 18-month-old girl.

Keegan Downer was killed by Kandyce Downer, 34, less than a year after she was appointed her legal guardian.

The review said the toddler was "almost invisible to professionals" after she was taken into the care of the woman who would ultimately kill her. 

When she died, she was found to have had 153 scars and bruises and suffered what police described as "barbaric and evil" treatment.

The review found her death could not have been predicted.

But the report, published today, said it found the assaults inflicted on Keegan may have been prevented by more professional involvement and supervision of Downer and her children.

Great Barr Observer

Strict parking measures, external could be introduced near a notorious landmark in Perry Barr – after complaints were once again lodged by fed-up residents.

Birmingham Post

A new £1m support centre offering palliative and bereavement care has opened this week at Birmingham Children's Hospital, external.  

BBC Politics

Labour's Tom Watson appeared to "dab" during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.

In this brief excerpt, the deputy leader and West Bromwich East MP seems to perform the dance move - which has spread around the world from the US hip-hop scene - as Jeremy Corbyn sat down after asking a question.

Express and Star

The West Midlands Metro Mayor is expected to be paid an annual salary of around £79,000, external, it can be revealed.

Four women who were reportedly offering to wash car windscreens on a major Birmingham road have been charged with begging.

Officers made the arrests on the Belgrave Middleway on Tuesday after receiving complaints from drivers.

All four are due to appear before Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Thursday 9 March.

West Midlands Police has urged drivers not to pay any illegal roadside windscreen washers.

Keegan Downer is one of a number of children who died in Birmingham.

These deaths have seen the city council's children's service consistently rated "inadequate" by Ofsted.

The government appointed external commissioners to oversee the department, but improvements did not go "far enough, fast enough", the Department for Education previously said.

The council subsequently announced a plan for children's services to be run by a trust.

Here is a timeline of the beleaguered department.

James Bond
Sports Producer, BBC Shropshire

Wolves midfielder, Dave Edwards, a life-long Shrewsbury Town fan, says the club can take inspiration from smaller sides like Bournemouth and look to rise out of League One.

He said the club would probably need some time to consolidate itself in the division, before looking for promotion to the Championship, but could probably hold its own at a higher level.

Image source, Getty Images

The Welsh midfielder said if Shrewsbury were to reach the Championship, they would see "full houses every week" and that it would be a "difficult place to come and play".

Alice Rosenthal
BBC WM

Bovis Homes have told us they will do all they can to fix issues for residents who have dealt with flooded sewage, damp and mould in their new homes.

It has set aside £7m to compensate customers who were sold unfinished builds or properties with electrical and plumbing faults. 

The house builders have properties for sale in Great Barr, Redditch and Lichfield. 

Bovis Homes say they are sorry for any issues and are talking directly to residents involved.

Amy Cole
BBC Midlands Today

A serious case review says toddler Keegan Downer should never have been placed with the woman who went on to murder her. 

We look further into the case on Midlands Today on BBC One at 13:30.

A father accused of murdering his young son and daughter has appeared in court.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Endris Mohammed, 46, has been charged with killing Saros Endris, eight, and six-year-old Leanor Endris.

He is also accused of attempting to murder the children's mother, Penil Teklehaimanot.

Mohammed was rescued from a burning vehicle in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, just hours after a fire at the children's house in Holland Road in Hamstead, Birmingham in October 2016.

He was due to enter pleas at Birmingham Crown Court today but the case was adjourned for further reports. He is next due in court on 26 June.

Former BBC WM and BBC Radio Leicester presenters Tony Wadsworth and his wife Julie have submitted an "application to dismiss" child sex charges against them.

Mr and Mrs Wadsworth, of Old Mill Road, Broughton Astley, are accused of offences against four boys under 16 in Atherstone, Warwickshire, between 1995 and 1999.

Mr Wadsworth is charged with five counts of inciting a boy under the age of 16 to commit an act of gross indecency and his wife faces seven counts of the same offence.

A hearing has been listed for 16 March at Warwick Crown Court.  

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

A foster carer looked after Keegan Downer from the age of five days to 10 months after she was removed from her biological mother due to concerns over her alcohol and drug use.

The foster carer was interviewed for the serious case review published today into the care of the toddler before she was murdered by the woman who was meant to be her guardian, Kandyce Downer, who has since been jailed for life.

The woman raised concerns there were "lots of things that didn't add up about Kandyce Downer" - her motivation and how she was going to care for the toddler.

Her concerns came after Kandyce Downer temporarily withdrew from a plan drawn up for her to look after Keegan until she had confirmation she would receive some finance "in order to get a larger car".

There were also questions raised about how remote the connection was between Kandyce and Keegan - who was born with the name Shi-Anne. Kandyce's ex-partner was the cousin of Keegan's natural father.

Birmingham Mail

Two prestigious Birmingham hotels were among hundreds across the UK singled out by a consumer watchdog over their food hygiene standards, external.  

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

The NSPCC has criticised the "deeply flawed" process that led to Keegan Downer's eventual murderer being made her guardian.

The charity said there was a "disturbing lack of assessment and scrutiny" of the special guardianship order that led to the appointment of Kandyce Downer to look after the toddler.

It said: "It is vital that the child remains at the heart of all decisions that professionals make. 

"And someone’s motivation for wanting to take responsibility for a child must be rigorously explored, to ensure the child will be safe and brought up in a loving environment."

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

The vetting process for a legal guardian who went on to kill an 18-month-old girl was “overlooked for seven weeks” while a social worker was off ill, a serious case review has found.

Image source, West Midlands Police

The review into the death of Keegan Downer found agencies were looking into who could care for the toddler as her biological mother had a history of alcohol and drug abuse and had five children taken out of her care before Keegan was born.

The report published today reveals Birmingham City Council’s children’s services department took on an independent agency, called Minster Social Work Ltd, to assess whether Kandyce Downer would be an appropriate guardian for baby Keegan.

The allocated social worker was off sick for seven weeks and “important messages sent via email that were not read”, the review found.

No one else did any work on the case and three other social workers “knew nothing about it” despite being allocated the case, the report said.

Despite this, the private firm returned a "positive assessment" of Kandyce's suitability to be the child's guardian during that period.

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

An 18-month-old girl battered to death by her guardian "should never have been placed" with the woman Birmingham City Council approved for her, a serious case review has found. 

Image source, West Midlands Police

Kandyce Downer did "not really fit the criteria" to be awarded a so-called special guardianship order to look after the toddler Keegan Downer, according to a review published today.

The review noted the findings of the judge who previously jailed Kandyce Downer for life that there was "no evidence" why she turned from "loving mother into brutal attacker", and the review's author concluded the girl's death could not have been predicted.

If professionals has shown more "curiosity" into the girl's life after she was sent to live with her guardian however, the assaults that led to the toddler's death "could have been prevented", the review said.

The government has reviewed special guardianship orders in the wake of this case and others, the review said.

BBC Weather

There’s an amber warning in place across the West Midlands for strong winds associated with Storm Doris. 

Gusts of up to 50-60mph and up to 80mph on higher ground are expected between 06:00 and 18:00 tomorrow, the Met Office is warning.   

Express and Star

A former pub licensee has been ordered to pay nearly £50,000 for illegally showing Sky Sports, external – as the satellite giant warned it would continue to crack down on venues showing sport unlawfully.

Kevin Pashby
BBC WM

Around 110 fridges which were illegally dumped on an estate in Birmingham are due to be cleared up later today.

Image source, Birmingham City Council

They will be taken away from Kings Norton so they can be forensically examined. 

Birmingham City Council says the items have all been stripped of valuable metal and then flytipped. 

The authority said the illegal dumping was "totally unacceptable" and said staff were trying to identify the perpetrators.