BBC Midlands Today

Birmingham's famous Hall Green greyhound stadium will close its doors for the final time this weekend.

Image source, Google

The track on York Road has been hosting greyhound racing for 90 years but it's being demolished to make way for a new housing estate.

The plans were backed by animal rights campaigners but more than 4,000 people signed petitions to keep it open.

The last race take place on Saturday night.

Two men cleared of being involved in what was believed to be a gangland shooting get a £200k settlement.

A huge pile of rubbish built up on one street in Birmingham, as the bin strike continues in the city.

Express and Star

Hardeep Varaich was busy carrying out the MOT at his Bilston garage when the snake made its surprise appearance., external

Kieran Gillespie to serve at least 26 years for an "unprovoked and frenzied" attack on a passenger.

A man who was shot by an armed police officer is in a critical but stable condition, the West Midlands force says.

It happened in Hereford Close, Rubery, at about 21:00 on Wednesday.

The case has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Image source, PA

IPCC commissioner Derrick Campbell told the BBC the wounded man is black and in his early 40s.

A man, aged 21, has been arrested on suspicion of firearms offences.

Two other men, aged 17 and 20, and a 53-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of drugs offences.

A man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a passenger he stabbed to death on a bus.

A jury heard how victim Leon Barrett-Hazle, 35, was travelling on the top deck of the 11A bus in Birmingham when his killer Kieran Gillespie, 26, got on. They engaged in conversation before an argument unfolded and Gillespie (pictured) stabbed Mr Barrett-Hazle multiple times.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Gillespie then got off the bus while other passengers ran to the wounded man's aid but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

CCTV on the bus identified Gillespie who will serve a minimum of 26 years.

Council bin workers in Birmingham are stepping up their industrial action in a dispute that has left rubbish piling up in the streets.

Members of the Unite union have been refusing to do overtime and have been carrying out daily two-hour stoppages. But from today, that'll rise to three hours.

The dispute is over planned changes to working practices, which include, Unite says, workers who don't drive the lorries losing up to 20% of their pay.

The council says changes to working practices are vital because budgets have fallen.

BBC WM

A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of arson following a flat fire in Tipton from which eight people were rescued.

The blaze broke out at a four-storey building on St Marks Road, Princes End, shortly before 22:00 on Thursday.

Image source, West Midlands Fire Service

Sandwell Police said the arrested boy, 16, will be questioned later today. Two people were treated at the scene for the effects of smoke inhalation.

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

After a bright start cloud will start to increase with outbreaks of showery rain expected this afternoon.

A breezy day with top temperatures of around 20C (68F).

Monica Rimmer
Journalist, BBC Online

Good morning from the BBC WM newsroom.

We'll have a full weather update for you shortly, along with the all the news, sport and travel.

If you'd like to get in touch, you can reach us on Facebook , externalor tweet @BBCWM, external.

The injured man is taken to hospital while another is arrested over "firearms offences".

Volunteers' vans were damaged and tools stolen as the programme helped the family affected by cancer.

Warwickshire boss Ashley Giles says the arrival of latest signing Adam Hose from Somerset is part of their transition process.

The data showed on the most crowded train 1,366 people typically crammed into carriages designed for 640.

Plans to hold the fresh inquests in September have also been delayed until at least December.

Warwickshire fast bowler Olly Stone promises to tone down his wicket celebrations after a year out with a knee injury.

Warwickshire sport director Ashley Giles says the arrival of latest signing Adam Hose from Somerset and the planned end-of-season return of Rikki Clarke is all part of a transition process at Edgbaston. On top of former skipper Varun Chopra's exit back to Essex late last summer and Ian Westwood's mid-season retirement, Clarke's departure marks a further step in the Bears' latest regeneration under Giles and coach Jim Troughton. "We need to be looking towards the next generation," Giles told BBC WM. "We've been through this cycle before. It was a big part of my coming back to the club. We've had some pain. We might have a bit more yet. We just need to make sure we have the right people on the bus."

We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 on Friday.

Keep an eye out here for more updates before then.

Bags of rubbish are piling up on the streets of Birmingham amid collectors' strike.

Hundreds of thousands of people are affected and collections have been disrupted for weeks.

This pile of waste is outside Abbas Hussain's estate agency in Stratford Road, Sparkhill, and he says it is affecting his business.

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