AFC Telford United sign former Wolves striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake following a short trial period.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Drivers are being warned there could be icy patches on roads in parts of the West Midlands tonight., external

Image source, Met Office

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning covering 17:00 on Friday to 20:00 on Saturday, particularly Staffordshire and Shropshire.

It says there could also be snow showers over higher ground.

Lee Blakeman
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

A driver's in a critical condition after his car hit a tree and rolled over in Stoke-on-Trent this morning., external

Image source, Google

West Midlands Ambulance Service paramedics found him lying on Birches Head Road at about 00:45.

They said he'd suffered serious injuries in the crash and was taken to hospital.

Ex-West Ham boss Slaven Bilic turns down the chance to speak to West Brom about replacing the sacked Tony Pulis as manager.

Express and Star

Today's headlines in the Express & Star include:

Former JLS singer Oritse Williams has been rebailed by police after his arrest on suspicion of rape following a gig in Wolverhampton, external

Quick-thinking members of the public have been praised for saving the life of a stranger, external

Pothole-damaged vehicles cost Sandwell Council more than £13,000 over the last two years, external, figures have revealed

Stoke are "more than likely" to offer 37-year-old striker Peter Crouch a new deal, according to manager Mark Hughes.

BBC Sport

Worcestershire's Moeen Ali scored 38 and took a wicket for England on day two of the first Ashes Test in Brisbane.

Image source, Getty Images

The match is delicately poised after Australia captain Steve Smith batted his side to 165-4, 137 behind England's first innings score of 302.

Moeen was at the crease at the start of today's play but was trapped lbw by Nathan Lyon, 12 runs short of a half-century, while Warwickshire's Chris Woakes fell to the same bowler for a duck.

The Worcestershire all-rounder then chipped in on the bowling front as he pinned Usman Khawaja in front for 11.

A £30m cash boost will be handed to towns and villages along the route of the new HS2 railway to help improve road and cycle safety, with more than £16m set for the West Midlands region.

Image source, PA

Funding for 13 areas along the phase-one route of the new rail line between London and the West Midlands has been revealed by HS2 minister Paul Maynard.

Warwickshire County Council is receiving £8m, Staffordshire County Council £2.975m, Birmingham City Council £2.66m and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council £2.4m.

The cash can be used for measures including traffic-calming and pedestrian crossings.

Shropshire Council is one of only 46 in the country to receive the rating from inspectors.

Matt Lee
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

Roads around the A500 in Staffordshire have been congested this morning after a fatal crash.

The northbound side of the dual carriageway's been shut for several hours between the Basford turnoff and Wolstanton Retail Park.

It's after a lorry driver died when, Staffordshire Police says, one lorry crashed into the back of another, which was broken down, at about 05:10.

Traffic has been diverted at the Basford A53 roundabout, with roads in nearby Newcastle-under-Lyme seeing congestion as drivers try to avoid the area.

BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

Parking charges have risen at short-stay car parks in Coventry to get drivers to use the long-stay site, according to the councillor in charge.

Traders and business owners around the City Arcade have told us they've stopped using the City Arcade and Moat Street sites, because charges to park there all day have gone up to £8 and £10 a day.

Labour's Jayne Innes, the city council, external cabinet member for city services, said it's only the short-stay car parks that are affected.

Roger Williams has created musical instruments in his home workshop for 20 years.

BBC WM Sport

A sell-out crowd at the Banks's Stadium in Walsall will watch England's women play Bosnia and Herzegovina in a World Cup qualifier this evening.

Image source, The FA

Birmingham City Ladies' Jess Carter (pictured above) is in the England squad.

Faith Page
Reporter, BBC Shropshire

A driver's been thrown from his car in a serious crash on the A5 south of Shrewsbury this morning., external

Image source, Google

West Midlands Ambulance Service says his car rolled near the Preston Island, where the A49 meets the A5, at around 05:20.

They say the man, thought in his 20s, was found lying on the roadside with a number of serious injuries and was taken to hospital.

Paramedics say a second man, believed in his 30s, had managed to get himself out of the car and was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

People sleeping on the streets in Warwick and Leamington will get somewhere to stay this winter when temperatures drop below freezing.

Image source, Getty Images

A council will fund the places when it's below zero for three nights in a row.

Warwick District Council, external said: "We've introduced the emergency support to provide shelter to the most vulnerable people in our society, at a time when they need it most and to encourage and give more opportunities for these people to engage professional agencies to access the support they need."

Amy Woodfield
BBC Local Live

Sad news about this chimp - Twycross Zoo said Danny passed away after being injured in a "challenge for position" within his chimpanzee group and was unable to recover.

Image source, Viki Bambury

The zoo announced his death on its Facebook page, external yesterday.

The post said: "It is with great sadness that we bring you the news that our much loved chimp Danny passed away during the night."

BBC WM

The council, external is advising people travelling into Birmingham to plan well ahead and use public transport, walk or cycle wherever possible following traffic delays due to the Holloway Circus roadworks.

The project to put in a new lane from Holloway Head on to Suffolk Street Queensway started back in September, but this month the lane closure was put in 24 hours a day.

The council said it was doing all it could to minimise disruption, but "these works must be carried out now before other works begin elsewhere in the city next year".

It stated it was carrying out work to improve traffic flow at "one of Birmingham’s busiest junctions" and this currently required the closure of one lane on Holloway Head for 24 hours a day.

Work at Holloway Circus was on target to be completed by spring 2018, the authority said, but would be put on hold and all lanes opened from 15 December, when it knew traffic would be at its busiest, before resuming again in early January.

A stolen JCB was driven into a building in a bid to steal an ATM machine from within a Warwickshire shop.

But thieves were unsuccessful in the attempt at about 23:00 on Wednesday at the Co-op convenience store on Church Road in Long Itchington.

They made off in a grey Audi RS4 Estate, with partial registration FX15, in the direction of Bascote.

A white Ford Transit van, partial registration WPD, was also seen in the area and may be connected, Warwickshire Police, external said.

BBC Hereford and Worcester

Just 6% of claims to Herefordshire Council, external for damage caused by potholes have been successful, according to figures obtained by BBC Hereford & Worcester.

Image source, Thinkstock

A total of £41,000 has been paid out to drivers in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, where 15% of claims are successful, in the last five years.

In a statement, Herefordshire Council said that "all compensation claims are assessed in line with the Highways Act", while Worcestershire County Council, external told us it had recently spent £12m on the county's roads.

BBC WM

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson (pictured below) says he's hopeful of getting a better funding settlement for the force next month.

The second biggest force in England and Wales after the Metropolitan Police, which includes the Coventry area, has lost almost 2,300 officers since 2010, with its budget cut by £145m over that time.

But in a short speech in Birmingham, the policing minister, Nick Hurd, said he "understood" the pressure forces were under.