Updates from Monday 6 to Friday 10 November
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About 300m (1,000ft) of temporary barriers are being deployed along Waterside, in Stratford-upon-Avon, for a major flood defence exercise.
The exercise will also test the latest technology being used by the Environment Agency, including drones feeding pictures back to its incident rooms.
Geography and disaster management students from Coventry University are also attending.
A fire at the Amazon warehouse in Rugeley at the weekend was started deliberately, Staffordshire Fire Service suspects.
The service was called at 12.16 on Saturday to a fire which began on the third floor and then spread to the fourth floor of the four-storey building.
The blaze involved a large amount of goods which were well alight when firefighters arrived.
Staffordshire police are also investigating.
Quote MessageThis was quite a large scale incident which took several hours to deal with due to the type of materials inside the building and the level of smoke logging which took significant time to ventilate
Quote MessageThe blaze has left the building seriously damaged but fortunately everyone inside was safely evacuated and no-one was injured during the incident
Carl Mason, Staffordshire fire service
BBC Sport
Former winners Coventry City will host non-league side Boreham Wood in the second round of the FA Cup.
Boreham, 10th in the National League, will travel to the Ricoh Arena side on the weekend of 2 and 3 December.
Image source, Getty ImagesSeventh-tier Hereford, the lowest ranked team through to the second round, will go toFleetwood, who beat Chorley 2-1 on Monday night.
Southern Football League Premier side Hereford, founded in 2014 following the dissolution of Hereford United, beat AFC Telford 1-0 on Saturday to progress.
You can find the draw in full here.
Sir Lenny Henry has described the current political climate as "complete and utter political madness" and for comedians "it's like the late 1970s all over again".
Image source, PAThe Dudley comic and actor, 59, told the Radio Times comedians these days are "required to have a response to what's going on in the world, and that's healthy".
"It reminds me of punk," he added.
Sir Lenny, who rose to fame as a comedian in the 1970s and 1980s, said: "I didn't do politics when I was young" but "If I was starting as a comic now, I'd have a go."
Emergency services are at the scene of an incident on Hill Street in Rugby.
Police say they were called to the area at about 08:00.
Road closures are currently in place on Newbold Road and Lancaster Road.
Here are some of the stories the Shropshire Star is reporting this morning:
Two men have been seriously injured in a three-car crash, which saw one vehicle catch fire.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to Trentham Road (pictured) in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent, at 06:44.
One man, believed to be in his 40s, was dragged from a burning car. A man in a different vehicle was trapped, the service said.
Image source, GoogleThe man from the burning car was treated for serious head, pelvic and leg injuries.
The trapped driver, also a man in his 40s, was treated for serious leg, pelvic and abdominal injuries. Both were taken to hospital.
A third driver was uninjured.
Some of the stories making the headlines today are:
A public inquiry is due to start today into plans to build five retail units, external on the Old Smithfield site in Bridgnorth, Shropshire.
Image source, Shropshire CouncilThe application was approved by Shropshire councillors earlier this year but was called-in by the Communities Secretary Sajid Javid.
The inquiry at Shirehall in Shrewsbury is expected to last four days.
Bridgnorth's Chamber of Commerce is against the scheme, claiming it would affect existing traders and reduce the number of parking spaces in the town.
The number of bicycle thefts being reported to West Mercia Police has risen 12-fold to almost 1,700 over the past five years.
Our investigation has found 828 bikes were stolen in Worcestershire in 2017 while in Herefordshire that figure is 262.
West Mercia Police says it is aware bike theft is an issue and it's exploring "a number of innovative schemes" which aim to reduce the thefts and catch the culprits.
A team of British soldiers will set off today on their challenge to become the first large all-female group to walk across Antarctica.
How female explorers face challenges of south pole trek
Lichfield doctor Maj Natalie Taylor and Maj Sandy Hennis, from Cannock, Staffordshire, are among the team of five hoping to complete the 1,700-mile (2,700km) trek.
They will have to endure temperatures of -40C (-40F) and walk for up to nine hours a day, during the 80-day Ice Maiden challenge.
Julie Walters will officially be made a dame today, receiving the honour at Buckingham Palace for services to drama.
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Much-loved for her TV collaborations with the late Victoria Wood, the actress, originally from Smethwick, has starred in such films as Educating Rita, Billy Elliot and the Harry Potter series.
She was named Dame Commander of the Order of the British empire in the 2017 Birthday Honours.
Major work to test the River Avon's flood defence system in Warwickshire begins today.
The Environment Agency will deploy temporary barriers at Stratford-upon-Avon's waterside, closing the area to traffic for most of the day.
It's the first time such tactics have been used in this location to test the response to flooding.
In 2012 heavy rain caused the River Avon to burst its banks.
A woman missing from Hereford since yesterday afternoon was last seen travelling through north Wales heading north, police say., external
Image source, West Mercia PoliceThe West Mercia force is looking for Deborah Davies, 38, from Hereford, who has links to Aberystwyth.
The Jeremy Vine Show will broadcast live from Coventry on Wednesday to celebrate the city, its music, culture and industry - and 50 years of BBC local radio.
The programme will come live from the old offices of the Coventry Evening Telegraph, where Jeremy had his first job after university.
The city is also hosting the BBC Local Radio Frank Gillard Awards, after BBC Coventry & Warwickshire won Station of the Year in 2016.
Three stars of BBC sitcom Mrs Brown's Boys, who diverted more than £2m into an offshore tax-avoidance scheme, were put in touch with advisers behind the set-up by a Sandwell-based accountant, Paradise Papers documents show.
Oldbury accountant Roy Lyness was also behind the similar tax avoidance scheme used by comedian Jimmy Carr.
Patrick Houlihan and Martin and Fiona Delany transferred their fees into companies in Mauritius and sent money back as loans.
Mr Lyness said he was "bound by client confidentiality as well as duties under the Data Protection Act not to divulge confidential information concerning my clients' financial affairs".
Paradise Papers: Fiona Delany avoids questions on ‘tax dodge’
The actors have not responded to the BBC's requests for comment.
Watch Panorama on the BBC iPlayer (UK viewers only)
Rich Davis
BBC Weather presenter
We can expect a wet day today, with some heavy downpours and blustery winds.
Rain will clear later this afternoon and into the evening, with highs of 11C (52F).
Latest weather forecast for the West Midlands
Vanessa Pearce
BBC News
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.
Max Kelly squirted a bottle of cleaning solution at two men following a row near a pub.
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Allen Cook
BBC News
We'll be back with more from 07:00 tomorrow.
But keep an eye out here for West Midlands news and sport stories and travel updates throughout the evening.
