BBC Sport

Crewe's manager David Artell says the ongoing contract talks with George Cooper are not affecting his performances on the pitch.

The 20-year-old is back in the team now having recently found himself left out of the starting line up.

Image source, Getty Images

Artell said Cooper was a "good kid" and that he wasn't the sort of player to dwell on things like this.

Sarah Robertson
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

A six-month-old baby remains in a critical condition, 10 days after a fatal house fire in Stoke-on-Trent.

The fire in a flat on Ringlands Close in Northwood last Sunday claimed the lives of the girl's mother and six-year-old sister.

Firefighters said the fire had been started by an electric storage heater, in a ground floor apartment.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council, which owns the building, says it is working to improve fire safety, which includes fitting sprinklers.

The injured bird, which was being pecked by crows, was rescued by a "softy" passer by.

James Bond
Sports Producer, BBC Shropshire

It's the first meeting of the new jump season at Ludlow racecourse this afternoon, with the clerk of the course, Simon Sherwood, saying entries are up this year.

He also said work had been going on behind the scenes to repair fences, repaint railings and add a new water jump.

There are seven races on the card today, with the first at 14:10.

A factory blaze in Wolverhampton is under control with firefighters still at the scene.

Earlier the fire service tweeted, external: "A number of chemicals have been located, but are not involved in fire."

Image source, West Midlands Fire Service

At its height more than 20 firefighters were at the single-storey blaze on Owen Road in Merridale.

Unison says it wants assurances jobs at the Worcestershire authority will be protected.

Police are renewing their appeal for witnesses, external after a young doctor was killed in a crash on a busy Birmingham road.

Suzanna Bull died after she was hit by a lorry at the junction of Edgbaston Road and Pershore Road on Monday at about 16:00.

Image source, West Midlands Police

The 32-year-old's family have described her as "determined, caring and adventurous" who had just completed her final training at Birmingham Children’s Hospital to become a GP.

Shropshire Star

Three stories from the Shropshire Star this morning:

• Telford's MP has said she is pleased action has been taken and that Telford child sex gang ringleader Mubarek Ali will not be allowed to return to the borough, external
• A stately home and golf course near Bridgnorth owned by ex-Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing has been put up for sale, external
• Shropshire Council to discuss move to take over Shrewsbury's shopping centres, external

Worcestershire captain Joe Leach signs a new three-year contract with the County Championship Division Two winners.

BBC Sport

Port Vale captain Antony Kay says no player at the club is guaranteed their place in the team under new manager Neil Aspin, and they all have to prove their worth in training.

Vale are currently in the bottom two of the football league, following Saturday's home defeat to Grimsby.

Image source, Getty Images

Kay also said he knew players should be showing that commitment all the time, but right now "one spark in training" could be enough to win a place in the starting XI.

Khalid Mahmood had previously refused to say who had given him the life-saving donation in 2014.

A 14-year-old girl who was killed when she was hit by a train at a crossing in Walsall has been named by police as Sarah Athersmith.

The girl was hit at Wallows Lane foot crossing, near Bescot Stadium station, on the afternoon of 26 September.

Image source, PA

Sarah had been crossing tracks after a freight train had gone by but was struck by a train going in the opposite direction, said British Transport Police.

Daz Hale
BBC WM

They say small is beautiful - but can the same be applied to a public park?

A "parklet" is a tiny park and one has been created on Bromsgrove Street in Birmingham on the site of a parking loading bay.

It's not great for walking but great to sit in, say some people I've spoken to this morning, but it's a welcomed bit of greenery to the city centre.

The Sentinel

The latest stories on The Sentinel's website this morning include:

• The sister of a holidaymaker who has not been seen , externalsince disappearing on a cross-channel ferry four years ago is leading a national campaign for better CCTV coverage on vessels
• The A500 southbound has reopened, external after emergency repairs to the carriageway were carried out overnight following a van fire
• Sentinel readers have overwhelmingly offered, external their support to the victim of the heartless 'pull a pig' prank which left her abandoned in Amsterdam

Shropshire Council is considering allowing new developments in areas designated as green belt land.

The authority is updating its planning policies for the next 20 years and, for the first time, that includes the stretch of open countryside separating the county from the rest of the West Midlands.

Image source, PA

A report on the potential to release small amounts of green belt land will be published next year.

The report also includes proposals for nearly 29,000 extra homes in the county.

Stephanie Barnard
BBC News

Six crews are at the scene of a factory fire on Owen Road in Wolverhampton.

The fire service has described the incident as a severe blaze in a single-storey factory unit, which has not yet been named.

Image source, Google

I'm told there are no reported injuries but the ambulance service hazard response team are at the scene.

People are being asked to avoid the area.

More than 20 firefighters are tackling a severe fire at a factory in Wolverhampton.

West Midlands Fire Service received a 999 call at 8:50 this morning about the blaze at a single-storey unit on Owen Road in Merridale.

We're told that six crews are at the scene, but we are not yet aware if anybody has been injured.

Plans for a statue of rock musician John Bonham in his home town of Redditch could move a step closer later.

A council planning committee will discuss the lasting tribute to the Led Zepplin drummer (pictured second left).

Image source, Getty Images

The people behind it hope it could be in place by what would have been his 70th birthday on the 31 May next year.

On 25 September 1980, John Henry "Bonzo" Bonham died at the age of 32, after consuming four quadruple vodkas for breakfast and continuing to drink throughout the day.

Stephanie Barnard
BBC News

We don't want to get you too excited ahead of the weekend but it's certainly looking good weather wise.

BBC forecaster Charlie Slater hinted that we could see some warmer temperatures at the weekend and BBC Weathers say it's possible temperatures won't go below 20C during the week.

What happens, we will find out later this week but safe to safe we're remaining hopeful for that Indian summer!

Researchers think half of unexplained miscarriages could be linked to the man's health and have possibly found a treatment.