Attempted murder arrest over teen stabbing
£80k fine for fire safety breach at hotel
Boy 'hanging by his neck' from tower block window
Champion skater left off ice after blades taken
Sick girl to go home for Christmas
'Monster' fatberg could take days to clear
Christmas Eve disruption for trains
Prankster gets police help for 'safe getaway' from fans
Updates from Friday 22 December
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Allen Cook
BBC News
Train passengers planning to use services which will run between Rugeley and Birmingham on Christmas Eve are being warned of disruption.
West Midlands Railway says there'll be engineering work on the line between Birmingham New Street and Tame Bridge Parkway., external
The operator says that'll mean buses replacing trains between Walsall/Rugeley, Trent Valley and Birmingham.
Millie Turner from Stafford has a rare genetic disorder and was facing Christmas in a hospital bed.
Read More
BBC News Travel
The lorry fire on the M6 in Staffordshire's now been cleared, Highways England says:
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Allen Cook
BBC News
A teenager's been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a stabbing in Birmingham.
The 18-year-old victim was found in Staple Lodge Road, Northfield with stab injuries to his chest and leg on 20 December, police say.
Image source, GoogleThey say he's still in hospital where he's in a critical but stable condition.
The force says armed police arrested a 15-year-old today in the Weoley Castle area in connection with the attack and he's still in custody.
Allen Cook
BBC News
An internet "prankster" needed help from police in Birmingham today for a "safe getaway" from a large group of his fans.
Jay Swingler, 22, and his YouTube channel co-host Romell Henry had tweeted last week, external that they would be hiding in the city centre today for a game of hide and seek.
Image source, West Midlands PoliceThey said they were offering £1,000 to the first person who could find them and they'd be filming it for their channel.
This afternoon, West Midlands Police tweeted, external to say officers had several calls about an incident in Birmingham and added they'd had to help Mr Swingler, saying it was "all good-natured fun while it lasted".
It's not the first time the emergency services have come to the 22-year-old's aide - earlier this month he had to be freed by firefighters from a microwave he'd cemented his head inside.
Riyah Collins
BBC News
A five-year-old boy has been rescued by firefighters, external after he was found hanging by his neck from a fifth floor window of a tower block.
Image source, West Midlands Fire ServiceWest Midlands Fire Service says it happened on Beech Mount Drive at about 16:00.
It praised the firefighter who climbed to rescue the boy and says a member of the public needed treatment for shock.
The condition of the boy has not yet been revealed.
Stories on the Express & Star website today include:
Families spending Christmas at Warwick Hospital's Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) will be given "blessing bags" this year donated by a Kenilworth mother.
Jayne Lavelle raised cash for the bags after having to spend time in the unit last year with her little boy.
Image source, Warwick HospitalLocal companies sponsored the bags which contain gifts for parents, siblings and babies themselves.
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
A firm running a hotel has been fined £80,000 for breaching fire safety regulations.
Hospitality First Two Ltd, which runs Crewe Arms Hotel on Nantwich Road, pleaded guilty to five charges on Thursday at Liverpool Magistrates Court.
Image source, GoogleCheshire Fire Service said the issues were discovered in 2015 and included an insufficient number of smoke detectors and inadequate escape routes.
The site closed for two-and-a-half months for works which the fire service called significant.
The BBC has approached Hospitality First Two Ltd for comment.
Brandon Bailey's family are fundraising on social media to try and get him some more £1,000 skates.
Read MoreAllen Cook
BBC News
A fatberg measuring more than seven metres in length could take engineers at least two days to shift in Worcester., external
Image source, Severn TrentSevern Trent says they've already spent 26 hours jetting water at the "monster" to try and move it.
The firm says the fatberg, made of congealed fat, is "harder than concrete" and hasn't ruled out staff working through Christmas to shift the blockage which is off Sidbury Road.
BBC News Travel
A lorry fire's brought traffic to a halt on the M6 in Staffordshire this evening.
Highways England says it's on the southbound side between junctions 15 for Stoke-on-Trent and 14 for Stafford., external
Faith Page
Reporter, BBC Shropshire
A document outlining why Shropshire Council wants to go ahead with Shrewsbury's North West Relief Road should be arriving at the Department for Transport today., external
Image source, Shropshire CouncilThe road, which would cost more than £100m, is one of a dozen projects competing for government approval.
The council says it won't find out until March whether it's been successful in its bid for funding.
Here are some of the main stories from the Birmingham Mail website:
BBC News
It probably won't surprise you, but the Northbound junction of the A38 (M) with the M6 has been named as one of the worst hotspots for congestion.
Today is due to be one of the busiest days of the year for traffic, with drivers being warned to expect long delays.
Image source, AlamyPolice have released more details, external about a young boy who died after being hit by a car in Shropshire yesterday.
West Mercia Police says a 19-month-old boy died after he was hit by a silver Hyundai Santa De on the forecourt of Minsterley Garage.
Officers said the boy died from his injuries at the scene.
Image source, GoogleQuote MessageWe are appealing for anyone who witnessed the collision or who may have any information to please come forward. This has been an understandably distressing incident within the community."
Mark Cranfield, Investigating officer, West Mercia Police
As it's the Friday before Christmas, here are a couple of festive photos from our BBC Weather Watchers today.
Thanks to Jon in Barlaston and Paulus in Birmingham:
Image source, Jon
Image source, Paulus
BBC Politics
BBC Politics has been looking back at another year of startling news, including a surprise by-election in Stoke-on-Trent.
The shock came because Tristram Hunt, who started the year as the Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent, announced he was quitting to become the director of London's Victoria and Albert Museum.
Tristram Hunt on leaving Labour seat and his new job at the V&A
At the time, that fed into the ongoing divisions in the Labour Party which were supposed to have been laid to rest by Mr Corbyn's re-election to the leadership.
In the by-election in February, Labour held the seat, with Gareth Snell succeeding Mr Hunt and then defending it in June's surprise general election.
Tonight's game between Worcester Warriors and London Irish will be a record breaker.
Image source, Getty ImagesWayne Barnes
That's because the referee, Wayne Barnes, will take charge of his 191st Premiership fixture, breaking the previous record held by Chris White.
Worcester will be looking to beat bottom-placed Irish to put more distance between them as they start the match six points ahead of the visitors.
BBC News England
The M6 between Staffordshire and Merseyside is expected to be "incredibly busy" this evening as many people begin their Christmas getaway.
An estimated 1.3m Christmas travellers are adding to the usual traffic, with the RAC urging people to avoid long trips on "frantic Friday".
Image source, MaxiphotoTraffic is expected to peak between 16:00 and 20:00 GMT, according to the RAC.
Traffic data company Inrix said it would be one of the busiest days of the year, with "incredibly severe" jams.
