BBC Hereford and Worcester

Hereford FC say they're making doubly sure that tomorrow night's FA Cup replay against Fleetwood Town goes ahead. , external

They're putting a protective plastic dome over the pitch at Edgar Street to protect it from the elements.

Yesterday, an army of volunteers spent hours shovelling tonnes of snow which was lying deep on top of the snow covers.

Whoever wins this FA Cup tie gets the prize of a third-round home tie against 2015-16 Premier League champions Leicester City.

Andrew Hewkin
Newsreader, BBC Shropshire

Shropshire Council is going to spend £300,000 to develop plans for a big refurb of its Shirehall headquarters in Shrewsbury.

Councillors agreed this morning to investigate the more expensive option of an £18.7m refit, which would involve inviting businesses to let out space in the building.

The proposals were supported by opposition members, including the Lib Dem leader Roger Evans, who called it a "win, win, win".

Shrewsbury's Carols in the Square will be going ahead tonight, despite the recent cold weather.

The event, which invites people to get together for some Christmas carol singing, attracts thousands of people to the town centre every year.

It starts at 17:30 and will be broadcast live on BBC Radio Shropshire.

BBC Hereford and Worcester

Worcestershire all-rounder Moeen Ali's been dropped down the batting running order by England for the third Ashes Test in Perth.

Image source, Getty Images

The tourists are 2-0 down and will surrender the urn if they are beaten at the Waca, where they have not won since 1978.

England have named an unchanged team from the side beaten in Adelaide but have moved wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow to number six, with Moeen moving a place down.

A multimillion-pound plan to transform Birmingham International station into a major transport hub, has been submitted to the government.

Solihull Council has drawn up the proposals in order to try to secure funding for the project, which it estimates would create 2,500 jobs for the region.

Image source, HS2

The plans would see the hub connect existing rail links, buses, trams and planes with the new HS2 station, by 2025.

The Ministry of Justice has released footage of a gang caught using a drone to deliver contraband to prisons.

Plans to stop providing birthing facilities at Ludlow, Bridgnorth and Oswestry have moved a step closer, after Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group agreed to put the idea out to public consultation,

The proposals will still need to get the backing of Telford's CCG before they can move forward to that stage, and they are due to meet in January.

Under these plans, the three centres would remain open for pre- and post-natal appointments, but women wanting a hospital birth will have to travel to Telford, Shrewsbury or out of the county.

The family of missing Coventry mother Nicola Payne offers a £30,000 reward.

A former West Midlands police officer has admitted making indecent images of children as young as two.

PC James Duffield, 34, from Solihull, previously a response officer based in Birmingham, was dismissed without notice by West Midlands Police during a brief misconduct hearing on 21 November.

Duffield appeared today at Birmingham Crown Court and will be sentenced on 10 January.

The ringleader of a gang caught smuggling drugs and phones into prisons using drones has been sentenced to an extra 7 years and two months in prison.

The group, run from inside prison by former armed robber Craig Hickinbottom, organised at least 49 flights, and smuggled contraband into prisons across the West Midlands as well as Perth in Scotland.

A Land Rover was left submerged at Sneyd Marina in Walsall after leaving the road.

The vehicle was found submerged up to its roof. Rescue crews are making sure nobody is left in the icy waters.

West Midlands Fire service says it was called out at 08:38 and the police are now working to recover the vehicle.

BBC Weather Watchers

The snow might be starting to melt, but there is still plenty about and the BBC Weather Watchers are continuing to share their photos of the chilly landscape.

And with temperatures only just getting above freezing today, it could take some time to thaw.

These photos were taken near Severn Stoke, Church Stretton and Lyonshall.

Image source, j at severn ridge

Image source, Basia

Image source, johnqa

Most major routes around Shropshire are now free of snow and ice, Shropshire Council has said, but it still has work to do.

One problem is that trees have been damaged by the weight of snow on them and the task of clearing up fallen branches is likely to take several days, it said.

The authority said it also needed to replenish salt bins around the county clear rural roads and footpaths and the road remains closed at Coldarbour, where a vehicle damaged a bridge.

Since Thursday night it has used 3,986 tonnes of salt from its own supplies and more supplied by farmers contractors.

A police officer who was stabbed in Erdington yesterday evening is making good progress in hospital, West Midlands Police has said

The 36-year-old suffered injuries to his neck and chest during an arrest attempt on Wood End Road.

The force said the police constable had successful surgery for the wound to his neck overnight and the chest wound is superficial. He remains sedated in hospital this morning.

A 48-year-old man was arrested initially on suspicion of two counts of GBH remains in police custody.

If Shropshire Council goes ahead with plans for a complete overhaul of its Shirehall headquarters in Shrewsbury, it could involve parts of the building being let out to businesses.

Cabinet member Steve Charmley said there had already been interest from companies and council officers are recommending the authority goes ahead with the more expensive option of a £18.7m refurbishment.

The authority said the building was structurally sound and that all the key electrical and mechanical systems were "still viable" but Mr Charmley said "lots of repairs" are needed after "limited investment over the years".

If the plans are approved, another £300,000 will be spent to develop the proposals and they will go back before councillors early next year.

Mark Hughes says Stoke City will 'win more games than we lose' if his side maintain the form they showed at Burnley.

Worcester News

The Worcester News is covering these stories today:

• Woman in her 50s sexually assaulted in Worcester, external
• Praise for Worcestershire's highways crews during icy blast, external
• Vans broken into at Kempsey, external

Phil McCann
Cheshire Political Reporter, BBC News

A major review is set to see police stations being sold-off across Cheshire.

The county's police and crime commissioner says, external in many areas officers can move into other nearby public buildings like fire stations and community centres.

But a policy change means community support officers will be able to spend more time in their beat area and many will get a physical base for the first time.

Allen Cook
BBC News

We told you earlier that bin collections were resuming for much of the West Midlands today after the icy weather - not in Lichfield though:

It has been 26 years since the mother went missing and her family say they want to bring her home.