West Mercia Police has been rated 'good' in the latest efficiency review of forces across England and Wales.

The findings for 2017, external show planned cuts to staff by 2020-2021 is five times higher than the national average.

The force was rated good in all areas, including the force's ability to keep people safe and reduce crime, its understanding of overall demand and its use of resources as well as future planning.

Jennie Aitken
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

Bottled water is being delivered to hundreds of people in a Staffordshire village after two water pipes burst in the area last night. , external

Severn Trent Water says there are two bursts in Barlaston and one of them is "not as straightforward" as they had hoped.

Image source, Severn Trent

As a result, the firm says there are still about 300 people without water and, by 09:00, it had only got water to about 100 of them.

Severn Trent says Wedgwood Drive and Longton Road are closed while engineers carry out repairs and they are also using water tankers to "inject" water straight into pipes to maintain some supplies.

Image source, Severn Trent

Shropshire Star

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

• 10,000 sign petition demanding longer jail sentence for drink , externaldriver who killed 11-year-old
• £91m of council pensions pots in Shropshire invested, external in fossil fuels
• North Shropshire College merger could be back on the cards, external

John Bray
BBC News

Last month I made a film with a pop art artist who creates portraits of the Queen - using stamps carrying her image.

Pete Mason, from Hednesford, was working on a collage to mark the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's 70th wedding anniversary.

The piece is now finished - and here it is.

Image source, Pete Mason

BBC Business News

Grandparents are helping more mothers get back to work but the rising pension age means they may face more pressure to continue in work themselves.

A report from the University of Birmingham shows women's participation in the workforce rose by 26% when their parents or in-laws helped out.

Dr Shireen Kanji said: "People arrive at the doorway of work, but a lot goes on behind them to get them there."

Image source, Getty Images

The report states that "a competitive job market and expensive childcare options" mean mums rely heavily on their families.

It looked 14,000 mothers in the UK who had a child in 2000. It examined who they named as their main source for after school and weekend care for children aged between four and five years old.

Wisbech goalkeeper Paul Bastock is set to beat Peter Shilton's record 1,249 appearances in the FA Vase on Saturday.

BBC Sport

Former Birmingham City Ladies striker Eni Aluko says she's "disappointed and surprised" by England players for not supporting her stance against former national team boss Mark Sampson.

He was sacked following misconduct allegations, while the last of three inquiries found he did use racist terms towards two players, including Aluko, but was not fundamentally a racist.

Aluko, who now plays for Chelsea, has told the BBC none of her old international teammates have spoken to her about it.

BBC Shropshire

The future of health services in Ludlow will be discussed at a meeting tonight.

The Save Ludlow Hospital coalition has called the meeting to talk about concerns about the town's community hospital, midwife unit, and minor injuries unit.

Local health campaigners, GPs and the town's MP (and current government health minister)Philip Dunne will be there.

BBC WM

Traders hit by long-running roadworks in Wolverhampton say they face going out of business while politicians argue about who should pay for compensation.

Image source, West Midlands Combined Authority

The West Midlands Combined Authority has been repairing tram lines on the A41 Bilston Road since June, but says the law means it can only offer help with marketing or applying for hardship funds.

Last night the City of Wolverhampton Council said it couldn't help either, but promised to ask Mayor Andy Street to reconsider stepping in.

Traders said in July they were frustrated with the inconvenience it was causing to their businesses.

Birmingham Mail

The Birmingham Mail are looking at these stories today:

• Off duty cop foils moped raiders as they try to, external steal motorcycle
• Birmingham entrepreneur launches dating site aimed only at singles , externalwho want to marry
• Amazon customers learn if huge warehouse blaze, external will affect Christmas deliveries

BBC Radio Stoke

An army surplus shop in Stoke-on-Trent says it's faced an online backlash for sharing a Facebook post about white poppies.

The Army and Navy store in Hanley says some people have told it sharing the idea is disrespectful to the red poppy.

The white poppy is designed to remember all victims of war, including civilians, and emphasises a lasting commitment to peace. It has faced criticism since its introduction in 1933.

Among the posts on the store's Facebook page are suggestions the white poppy is "disrespectful", "an insult", "political correctness" and making an "absolute mockery of what the poppy stands for".

Anthony Nicholls, 56, died five days after a 200-shot commercial firework started a severe fire at his home in Tile Cross, Birmingham.

His daughter Fiona Nicholls said he was a "funny man" who "worked hard all his life".

Image source, West Midlands Police

His partner, a 50-year-old woman, suffered lower leg fractures after jumping from a first-floor window.

Det Insp Paul Joyce said: "We are going through lots of CCTV and developing some lines of inquiry from that.

"This would have been a large heavy firework that would have been difficult to carry some distance, so I would ask anyone who saw someone carrying a large box in the area last Thursday night to contact us."

Both Warwickshire and West Midlands Police have been rated as "good" by government inspectors, but improvements are needed.

The Police Efficiency report, external says the West Midlands force needs to make sure there's enough money to properly fund the control room - after it found that some 999 or 101 calls weren't being answered.

BBC Midlands Today

The number of operations cancelled at the last minute by hospitals in Herefordshire and Worcestershire has jumped by 60%.

Image source, PA

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and Wye Valley NHS Trust combined, sent more than 1,000 hospital patients home in the last year after cancelling their operations.

That number is 60% higher than five years ago. The reasons include bed or staff shortages and a lack of equipment.

BBC News Travel

Bad news if you're travelling through Walsall this morning. Trains face delays and cancellations.

Rich Davis
BBC Weather presenter

It will be a cloudy morning with patchy light rain, clearing away though to leave a dry and bright afternoon with plenty of sunshine, 13C (55F).

Monica Rimmer
BBC News

Good morning and welcome to our live updates for Thursday.

We'll bring you the latest news, sport, weather and travel updates for the West Midlands between now and 19:00.

If you'd like to get in touch to comment or share your news and photos, go to the BBC Midlands Facebook page, external, email us, or tweet @bbcmtd, external.

Anthony Nicholls died five days after a 200-shot commercial firework started a fire at his home.

We'll be back with more from 07:00 tomorrow.

Keep an eye out here for West Midlands news and sport stories as well as travel updates throughout the evening.

Whitchurch Herald

Here are some of the stories on the Whitchurch Herald website this afternoon:

• Lidl threaten legal action if Shropshire Council approve Aldi plans, external
• British Legion stalwart to carry flag at Albert Hall, external
• Warning over doorstep traders in Wem, external

Image source, Whitchurch Herald