Police are continuing to question a 29 year-old arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder following the death of a Birmingham man who had a lit firework left in his house.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Tony Nicholls, 56, died several days after the arson attack in Tile Cross on 2 November.

His home was gutted by fire after an industrial-sized firework was let off by a group of men who burst into the property as he and his partner ate a Chinese takeaway.

The M42 southbound has reopened between junctions 10 and 9 near Tamworth.

Image source, Google

It was shut through the night as Warwickshire Police investigated the discovery of a body on the carriageway late yesterday afternoon.

The closure meant some drivers were at a standstill for more than five hours while many lorries were forced to spend the night at the roadside.

Alexandra Hamilton
BBC weather presenter

A band of patchy rain will move across the region this morning, followed by a brighter afternoon with highs of 13C (55F).

Vanessa Pearce
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.

Authorities are "not living up to legal or moral obligations", according to traveller groups.

The Feathers Hotel in Shropshire had been closed following an outbreak of the disease in July.

Law student Zainab Pervaiz made thousands of pounds selling fake concert tickets to her victims.

Andy Giddings
BBC News

We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 tomorrow, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening and into the morning.

BBC News Travel

Warwickshire Police say the M42 remains closed southbound between junctions 10 and 9, while officers investigate reports of a body on the road.

Traffic is moving slowly northbound.

The closure is expected to be in place for several hours and drivers are asked to avoid the area.

Questions are being raised about the recruitment policy at Worcestershire County Council, after another senior manager announced he was leaving.

Director of adult services Sander Kristel has only been in his job for 18 months and will be following former chief executive Clare Marchant to the university admissions body UCAS.

Image source, Worcestershire County Council

The leader of the Labour group on the authority, councillor Peter McDonald, suggested they were leaving because the council was "in trouble".

Joanne Gallacher
Political reporter, BBC Shropshire

A spending freeze and a freeze on filling vacant posts have both been announced by Shropshire Council.

It's to try and stop the authority from going a projected £5m over its agreed budget.

Members of the council's cabinet say they can reduce the overspend to £400,000 by taking money from a number of budgets - including £1m from adult social care.

The infamous Birmingham gang's story will form part of a planned new police museum.

Carol and Tommy McMillan had resigned themselves to a lifetime in rented accommodation.

But a scheme in Stoke-on-Trent allowing them to buy a house for £1 has transformed their lives "dramatically", they said.

The second phase of the council-run scheme is now being rolled out.

"There's money left at the end of the month," said Mrs McMillan.

"We were renting a property at £450 a month. The payback on the £30,000 grant on this house is £298 so straight away we were £150 better off."

She said the local area was slowly turning itself around and described it as "up and coming".

Being bothered by a noisy dog? There's an app for that - and people with complaints in the Newcastle-under-Lyme area are being encouraged to download it to record evidence of disturbances.

Newcastle Borough Council says the recordings can be used in court, if necessary, or to settle a dispute informally.

Image source, Getty Images

The council says it is much more useful than relying on people's "noise diaries".

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

A chance of some outbreaks of light rain or drizzle tonight. Mild with lows of 8C (46F).

Part of the M42 motorway is closed this evening, while police investigate reports of a body on the road.

West Mercia Police said officers were called to the area between junctions 10 for Tamworth and 9 for the M6 Toll at 17:20.

Coventry City's proposed move across the city from the Ricoh Arena to the Butts Park Arena is dismissed by Coventry RFC.

Shropshire health commissioners have agreed their business case for the reorganisation of hospital services in the county, after taking extra time to answer questions raised by NHS England.

The plans will now go before NHS England and, if it approves them, they will be put to public consultation, possibly before Christmas.

The proposals involve downgrading the accident and emergency department at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital and moving specialist women and children's services to Telford, while moving planned operations the other way.

A 29-year-old man is arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder over the death of Tony Nicholls.

A woman who died in a crash on the A51 in Staffordshire on Monday evening has been named by police as 26-year-old Katie Bennett from Market Drayton.

The car she was driving collided with a tanker near Great Haywood and she died the following morning at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, police said.

Image source, Staffordshire Police