A passenger in a car fired pellets at passers-by in Stafford with an airsoft rifle, police say.

Bob Hockenhull
BBC Midlands Today

More than 60 suspected drug dealers have been arrested in a series of raids across the Midlands.

Four police forces were involved in a two-week operation.

They were targeting inner-city gangs who travel to smaller towns to deal in heroin and crack cocaine.

Detectives say the criminals often bully vulnerable local residents into helping run their trafficking networks – known as County Lines.

You can see my full report on Midlands Today at 13:30 on BBC One.

Worcester News

Three headlines from the Worcester News website today:

• Tribute to man who died after falling in River Severn, external
• Statue of Yorkshire terrier stolen from grave, external
• Calls for roundabout at notorious junction rejected, external

A man who caused the death of an 11-year-old girl through dangerous driving won't have his sentence reviewed, the solicitor general has ruled.

The family of Olivia Reeves, from Shrewsbury, had asked for Roger Goodall's four-and-a-half-year sentence to be taken before the Court of Appeal, believing it to be too lenient.

The 77-year-old was one and a half times over the legal drink drive limit when he hit her with his Land Rover on Mytton Oak Road in Shrewsbury.

A spokesperson for the solicitor general said "the sentence given fell within the guidelines available for this offence".

BBC WM

The head of a Black Country primary school has written to Walsall Council raising concerns about her pupils having to swim and share changing facilities with adult strangers.

Image source, Google

Davina Clancy from Old Church Primary in Wednesbury says she's worried about the safety of the children at Darlaston baths.

The Council says the shared system started last year, and it's done in a safe and controlled environment.

Port Vale striker Tom Pope says his team shouldn't fear anyone in League Two, after back-to-back wins for the first time in 15 months.

Pope has scored five in the last three games, to help new manager Neil Aspin pick up six points from his first three games in charge.

Image source, Getty Images

Pope believes they could have beaten the side currently top of League Two, Notts County, and said they'd go into the match against Exeter at the weekend "full of confidence".

Children's services in Birmingham are "continuing to improve" says the government watchdog Ofsted, external.

The city's children's services has held an inadequate rating since 2008.

In their latest report published today, inspectors found the standard of social work in the city was "stronger" and caseloads had been improved.

Image source, PA

Despite that, Ofsted said "considerable work" still needs to be done to make sure services are "of a standard at which outcomes for children are consistently good".

Inspectors visited in September and looked at services for children with a disability and subject to a child in need plan.

The partner of a Worcester man who died after falling from a bridge in the city into the River Severn on Sunday has said she is "devastated beyond words".

Police have identified the man as 52-year-old Alan Hampstead from Sansome Place in the town.

Sarah Hampstead described him as a "a loving, caring and kind man" who "loved his family and friends unconditionally and would do anything for them".

Image source, Hampstead family

Mrs Hampstead said: "You had to really know Alan to understand the way he was and the way he saw the world around him, his view of it was not the norm."

And she added "he never really understood how loved and liked he was".

Express and Star

Here are some of the stories making the headlines in the Express & Star this morning:

• Watch: Hero van driver stops out of control bus after driver collapses at the wheel in Wednesbury , external
• Reagan Asbury murder: Football club to hold fundraiser for teen as second arrested man is bailed , external
• Barr Beacon to get new security measures to stop travellers pitching up, external

A schoolgirl has received a youth caution after reports of an assault on a pupil at Telford Langley School.

Another girl who was arrested at the same time was not charged.

Image source, Telford Langley School

An area of the Beauchamp Industrial Estate, in Tamworth remains cordoned-off says Staffordshire Police, after a man was stabbed in the neck last night.

Investigations are being carried out at the scene after emergency services were called shortly after midnight.

Burton Albion boss Nigel Clough says he would still consider managing Nottingham Forest at some stage in his career.

BBC Sport

The £18m Stoke City spent on Kevin Wimmer will turn out to be a good investment in the long-run, chairman Peter Coates has said.

The defender's five appearances this season have seen the team concede 14 goals, keep no clean sheets and only win one game.

Image source, Getty Images

But Coates said he might just take time to adjust to his new surroundings.

Shropshire Star

Three of the headlines in the Shropshire Star today:

• Family’s anger as appeal against Shrewsbury driver’s sentence is denied, external
• Telford schoolgirl given police caution after video of assault, external
• One person rescued from River Severn in Bridgnorth, external

A man's being treated in hospital after being stabbed in the neck on a Tamworth industrial estate, the ambulance service says.

Ambulance crews were called to reports of an unconscious man close to McDonalds in Watling Street shortly after midnight.

We'll bring you more on this story as we get it.

A truck driver managed to bring a bus to a halt after spotting the driver was suffering a cardiac arrest at the wheel.

The incident happened at about 07:48 on Darlaston Road in Wednesbury and saw the bus hit three other vehicles.

Image source, Express & Star

The driver has been praised for using his van to ensure the empty bus didn't cause any other injuries.

The truck driver told the Express & Star newspaper, external he originally thought the bus driver had been looking at his mobile phone.

Police were carrying out CPR on the bus driver when ambulance workers arrived and he remains in a critical condition, the ambulance service said.

A junior version of the iconic Morgan three-wheeler is to be manufactured and assembled in Coventry by the RDM Group.

Better-known for its work on driverless pods, the company will be making an electric replica of the Malvern-based company's popular model - the EV Junior.

Image source, RDM Group

It takes a team of eight engineers between four and six weeks to build each vehicle at the factory on Bilton Road.

The model, with a starting price of around £8,000, can go up to 10mph and has a 10-mile range, before needing to be recharged.

Tim Page
News Editor, BBC Shropshire

Police have arrested a 61-year-old man from Shrewsbury on suspicion of sexual grooming after he was brought to their attention by an anti-paedophile group.

They filmed themselves approaching him near the Red Lion on Holyhead Road in Telford on Saturday afternoon and held him until the police arrived.

The man has been bailed to return to police, next month.

People in the UK need to get used to the idea that Britain might not get a deal on free trade with Europe, MP Owen Paterson has said.

Mr Paterson, a leading supporter of Brexit and MP for North Shropshire, said he wasn't expecting any progress to be made when the prime minister addresses European leaders in Brussels later.

Theresa May's counterparts are expected to confirm that they are not ready to discuss a future trade relationship and Mr Owen Paterson said a free trade deal that "would be a bonus" at this stage.

A live chinchilla, found dumped in a food waste bin in Warwick, was left out for a rubbish collection the RSPCA says.

Image source, RSPCA

The animal was found with no food or water in a bin on the roadside, next to a bus stop in Emscote Road.

The animal charity was called out to rescue it after a member of the public heard scratches from inside the bin.

Welfare officer, Ben Jones said whoever put him in there "did so with the intention that he would be disposed of during the next bin round".