Summary

  • Post-mortem test on boy, 7, 'inconclusive'

  • Birmingham could face rivals in bid to host Commonwealth Games

  • Husband jailed for life after admitting wife's murder

  • Girl found 'safe' after huge police hunt in Coventry park

  • Dance teacher, 72, guilty of child sex abuse

  • RBS to close 11 branches in the West Midlands

  • Hospital A&E to offer routine HIV test

  • Veterans protest over charity closure

  • Updates on Friday 1 December

  • Click on Related Stories to view stories from your area

  1. Increased attacks on prison officers and inmatespublished at 07:12 Greenwich Mean Time 29 November 2017

    BBC Midlands Today

    Violent attacks in the region's prisons have risen sharply in the last six years, according to figures obtained by the BBC.

    Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire.

    Boiling water and battery acid are some of the things which have been used as weapons against staff.

    Between April 2011 and August 2017 research has revealed there were more than 200 attacks on officers, inmates and visitors, 17 of which caused serious injury at the high security Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire.

  2. Weather: Another cold day aheadpublished at 07:08 Greenwich Mean Time 29 November 2017

    BBC Weather

    After a frosty start, the region will have another dry and sunny day. It will feel cold again in a brisk northerly wind.

    There may be slightly more cloud over Warwickshire and the Staffordshire Moorlands and possibly the odd shower - highs of 6C (43F).

    Media caption,

    Latest weather forecast for the West Midlands

  3. Live updates for the West Midlandspublished at 07:03 Greenwich Mean Time 29 November 2017

    Stephanie Barnard
    BBC News

    Good morning, I'll be bringing you updates on all the latest news, sport, travel, weather and more across the West Midlands between now and 19:00.

    If you'd like to get in touch - send your comments, news and photos via email, Twitter , externalor Facebook, external.

  4. West Bromwich Albion 2-2 Newcastle Unitedpublished at 23:07 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2017

    Jonny Evans' own goal denies West Brom a first league win since August as Newcastle battle back from two down at The Hawthorns.

    Read More
  5. Trust fined over patient fall deathspublished at 21:09 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2017

    Five patients were exposed to the risk of falling which resulted in their deaths, a court hears.

    Read More
  6. Worcester wait on Van Velze rib injurypublished at 19:26 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2017

    Worcester Warriors wait to find out the full extent of South African forward GJ van Velze's rib injury.

    Read More
  7. Our live coverage across the daypublished at 19:00 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2017

    Andy Giddings
    BBC News

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

  8. Hospital blood unit disrupted by break-inpublished at 18:53 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2017

    Liz Saul
    BBC News

    A laptop and several electronic tablets have been stolen in a break-in at a hospital.

    The blood unit at the hospital in RugbyImage source, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

    The University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust says it happened at the Friends Blood Taking Unit at the Hospital of St Cross, Rugby, external, between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.

    The NHS trust says cubicles at the department are now fully open but they've had to use a ticket system to call patients for appointments.

  9. Hospital staff find long waits 'really upsetting'published at 18:45 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2017

    Long waits at Shropshire's two hospital were upsetting for staff as well as patients, the chief executive of the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust has said.

    Simon Wright said there were no available beds in the two hospitals last Monday - making it the second busiest day of the year. Four hundred and twenty six patients attended the emergency departments.

    Simon Wright

    The overcrowding also meant it took longer to find beds for patients arriving by ambulance and more than 40 were held up for over an hour.

    Simon Wright said patients had been very understanding, but that it wasn't a situation the board wanted to see.

    Quote Message

    Inevitably for the staff, they find that really upsetting. They want to be able to give the best possible care that they can. They want to have patients able to get into the hospital easily... They don't want them to feel as if they're having to queue or to wait."

    Simon Wright, Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust chief executive

  10. Peaky Blinders writer to adapt Dickens novelspublished at 18:38 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2017

    How do you follow a show like the Peaky Blinders?

    Well, the man who wrote the Birmingham-set crime drama, Steven Knight (pictured below), is going to try his hand at adapting the novels of Charles Dickens.

    Steven Knight

    First to get the treatment is A Christmas Carol, which is due to be broadcast on BBC One in Christmas 2019 - a joint project involving Ridley Scott's Scott Free company and Tom Hardy's Hardy Son and Baker.

    Quote Message

    Any question about narrative storytelling is answered by Dickens. To have the chance to revisit the text and interpret in a new way is the greatest privilege. We need luck and wisdom to do this justice.”

    Steven Knight

  11. Birmingham must be 'band of brothers'published at 18:30 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2017

    Birmingham striker Lukas Jutkiewicz says team spirit under Steve Cotterill is the key to Championship survival.

    Read More
  12. Photographer, 95, has book publishedpublished at 18:28 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2017

    Masterji has captured on film the South Asian immigrants settling in Coventry since the 1950s.

    Read More
  13. Benches to mark 300 years of ironworkspublished at 18:28 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2017

    Mark Elliott
    BBC News

    The first of 15 commemorative benches has been installed to mark 300 years of iron working at the Coalbrookdale Foundry.

    Aga closed its factory there last week, bringing to an end a tradition which went back to 1709.

    Ironbridge bench

    The benches have all been donated by Aga in appreciation of the work done there and they will be appearing around the Ironbridge and Coalbrookdale areas over the next 18 months.

  14. More gritting with freezing temperatures duepublished at 18:20 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2017

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    We're in for another frosty night and pretty much all the councils across the West Midlands are saying they'll be gritting., external

    As one example, the gritters in Worcestershire will be out from 18:00, external as the council says they're expecting icy patches to form. And that counts for Shropshire too...

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  15. Who is Josephine? Mystery inside book of letterspublished at 18:10 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2017

    Rebecca Wood
    BBC Midlands Today

    A family are trying to reunite a book of World War Two letters with the original owners.

    An extract of one of the letters

    They came to light when Tina Day's father and uncle were clearing the loft of a house in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, but she says they don't know who they belong to.

    The letters are from a Lieutenant Charles Arthur Thompson to his daughter, Josephine Helen Thompson, who was born on 7 May 1944 and her mother was called Molly Kight.

    Tina's told me she would love to be able to trace Josephine or her family and return the letters.

  16. How many layers of clothing will you need tomorrow?published at 18:02 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2017

    Alex Hamilton
    BBC Weather

    After a mainly clear, cold day, here's how tonight and tomorrow are looking across the West Midlands.

    The BBC Weather website can also keep you updated at any other time.

    Media caption,

    Alex Hamilton

  17. Megson back in charge for Newcastle gamepublished at 17:57 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2017

    BBC Sport

    Gary Megson will stand in as manager of West Brom tonight and he's warning the visitors, Newcastle United, will be seeing it as an opportunity to end a run of bad results.

    Newcastle have lost their last four games in the Premier League, with their last win coming over a month ago at bottom-side Crystal Palace.

    Gary MegsonImage source, Getty Images

    Megson said that despite both sides lack of form, he was expecting a "good game with a good atmosphere".

    Alan Pardew is the bookies favourite to be the next West Brom manager, following the sacking of Tony Pulis.

  18. 'Incredible lengths' to honour explorer's memorypublished at 17:52 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2017

    BBC Hereford and Worcester

    A friend of explorer Henry Worsley, who died last year, says his family are going to incredible lengths to honour his memory.

    The ex-Army officer, who had who lived at Dilwyn in Herefordshire, was trying to complete the unfinished journey of his hero, Sir Ernest Shackleton, in Antarctica.

    Henry WorsleyImage source, Henry Worsley

    However he died after developing a serious infection while just 30 miles shy of his goal.

    His family are now taking his ashes to be buried near the grave of Shackleton in South Georgia.

    Quote Message

    We did our sort of piece for Henry during my latest expedition last year. We were able to do a memorial service in Anarctica at the point where Henry ground to a halt on his trip and then were able to go and finish off his route as a tribute to his legacy."

    Lou Rudd, Friend of Henry Worsley

  19. Mum wants more mental health support for parentspublished at 17:44 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2017

    A Bridgnorth mum who set up a group to help mothers with mental health issues says parents need more support.

    Olivia Siegl founded The Every Mum Movement, external after suffering mental health problems following the premature and traumatic birth of her first daughter.

    Olivia SieglImage source, Olivia Siegl

    She said she was scared the doctor would say she was an unfit mother and take away her baby. When she sought help she was diagnosed with postnatal depression and postpartum psychosis and received treatment.

    She said she wanted parents to find talking about mental health as easy as discussing sleeping or feeding techniques.

    Quote Message

    I was angry that I'd read all the advice, bought all the gadgets, done my pelvic floor exercises but not once did anyone tell me how to look after my brain."

    Olivia Siegl, The Every Mum Movement