The families of some of those killed in the Birmingham pub bombings in 1974 have won the right to challenge a ruling by the city's coroner ahead of inquests into the victims' deaths.

Twenty-one people died when two bombs were detonated in the city in 1974.

Image source, Getty Images

Some families wanted the inquests to hear evidence about who carried out the bombings, widely blamed on the IRA.

The coroner decided against hearing that evidence - but the Justice4the21 campaign have won the right to a judicial review of his decision.

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

It will be a cloudy day with patchy outbreaks of rain, before becoming drier this evening and highs of 15C (59F).

A warning for wind has been issued for Saturday as the effects of Storm Brian are felt.

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Good morning and welcome to our live service for the West Midlands.

We'll be bringing you all the latest news, sport, weather and travel between now and 19:00.

Please share your stories, photos and comments by visiting our BBC Midlands Facebook page, external, emailing us, or tweeting @BBCMTD, external.

Andy Giddings
BBC News

We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 on Friday.

The planned increase in hospital parking charges in Shrewsbury and Telford has been criticised by Telford and Wrekin Council.

Arnold England, the councillor responsible for health and wellbeing, called the charges "eye-watering, inflation-busting increases" and urged Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust to abandon a move he labelled a "tax on visiting the sick".

Under plans, the cost of a 24-hour stay would rise from £3.50 to £8.

The hospital trust says it hasn't changed its car parking charges for four years and they are still among the lowest in the country.

Four Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans have been stolen along with a Luton van in a raid on a Sandwell distribution company.

Image source, West Midlands Police

The vans, which were taken from ADP at the Broadcott Industrial Estate, Station Road, Warley, all had superhero graphics, which could have been removed, police say.

In order to steal the vehicles, on 7 October, parts of the dashbords were taken out.

BBC Sport

Wolverhampton gymnast Kristian Thomas has announced his retirement from the top level of the sport.

The 28-year-old, who captained the GB gymnastics team at the Rio Olympics, said he could leave the sport "extremely proud" of becoming an Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth medalist.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Coventry & Warwickshire has unveiled the design of its 2Tone Taxi to celebrate Coventry and its bid to become City of Culture 2021.

Image source, Andrew Moore

The design features local people, places and hidden gems that listeners wanted to share with visitors.

Working with local artist Ian Cook from Pop Bang Colour, hundreds helped create a look to reflect the best of the city, including its musical history.

From Friday and into October half-term, the 2Tone Taxi will hit the streets of a city famous for the Two Tone Ska scene and manufacturing the iconic London Taxi.

Image source, Andrew Moore

You can find updates here.

A cat called Tinkerbell was unable to live up to her namesake when a rooftop wander led to a two-day ordeal.

She needed the help of the fire service to get down from the Telford property when the RSPCA was unable to help.

Image source, RSPCA

Colleagues of firefighter Andy Keen are calling him the "cat whisperer" after he used food to coax her into her carrier.

An action group has begun legal action against Shropshire Council over its approval of a chicken farm on the outskirts of Bridgnorth.

The group in Tasley is seeking a judicial review over the way the council assessed the impact of the farm on the local community.

The Carrington Bridge in Worcester is going to get four lanes, with the government confirming it will fund the project.

It's going to cost £70m to complete, with £54m due to come from the Department for Transport

Work is due to start in 2019 and is expected to be finished by 2021.

Worcestershire County Council will provide the rest of the funding for the bridge, which is used by 30,000 vehicles a day.

Construction of a "garden village" in Shropshire has passed the halfway stage - 12 years after work started.

Bournville Village Trust, which is responsible for the Lightmoor development in Telford, said 540 properties had been built, with another 460 to go.

A colony of great crested newts was listed among the issues that held up progress.

If approved, the project would restore the post-war intentions of the shopping centre, say developers.

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

We're forecast more wet weather overnight and Storm Brian is expected to bring high winds to the region at the weekend, but tomorrow should be drier.

The charm, inscribed with "Made with Love", was inside a wallet lost in Burton-on-Trent.

Plans for a new "world class" testing centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) technology in Warwickshire has received government backing.

Image source, HORIBA MIRA

The centre at Horiba Mira's facilities in Nuneaton will be set up in conjunction with Coventry University.

The government announcement gives the green light for a new consortium, led by the firm, to pave the way for the new technology.

It said was part of a national strategy to establish the UK as a "global leading centre of excellence for the development, testing and commercialisation of CAVs".

Worcester's Carrington Bridge will be turned into a dual carriageway with the Government cash.

Football bans have been handed to 14 Port Vale supporters who were involved in trouble at a match against Bolton last season.

Fans invaded the pitch and objects were thrown following the game on 22 April and seven received bans of between three and five years after admitting being part of it.

Image source, PA

Another three were dealt with by youth offending teams and four were given conditional cautions - they were banned from Port Vale matches for three months.

A 15th man is due to appear before North Staffordshire Justice Centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme on 24 October.

Four youths have been arrested in connection with an incident in Tamworth that left an 18-year-old man with serious head injuries.

One of them, a 15-year-old boy from Stafford, is being held on suspicion of attempted murder.

Two 16-year-old boys from Tamworth, and another, who was 17, were arrested on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm.

The two 16-year-olds were also arrested on suspicion of possession of cannabis with intent to supply.

Staffordshire Police earlier cordoned off an area around the McDonald's restaurant on Beauchamp Industrial Park after the man was found unconscious.

The homes of vulnerable teenagers from small towns are being targeted by big city gangs, police say.