Matt Mason is leaving Worcestershire after 17 years with the county as a player and then coach.

The 43-year-old is off to join Leicestershire as their head bowling coach and told Worcestershire's website , externalhe would have nothing but "fantastic memories" of his time at New Road.

Image source, Getty Images

Mason has been a bowling coach for the past nine seasons after a first class career in which he took 314 wickets at an average of 26.91.

Firefighters rescued a person from a bedroom after a fire broke out in a house in Warwickshire.

Crews were called to the address in Pittway Avenue in Shipston on Stour, at 22:30 yesterday.

Image source, Google Maps

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze was on the upstairs landing and one person was in the bedroom.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said it treated and assessed two people, a man and a woman, who had both suffered smoke inhalation. They were taken to Warwick Hospital for further checks.

Half a kilo of cocaine, crack, heroin and cannabis has been discovered at a house in Burslem.

Staffordshire Police raided the property on Dartmouth Street yesterday afternoon and arrested a 20-year-old woman from Stoke-on-Trent.

Image source, Staffordshire Police

Matt Mason leaves Worcestershire after 16 years to join Leicestershire as the club's new head bowling coach.

Thirteen people arrested on suspicion of modern slavery offences have been released.

The swimming pool in Bishop's Castle will close for refurbishment for three weeks from mid-February.

It's to allow the ladies changing rooms at the Sparc centre to be improved, at a cost of £100,000.

The pool will reopen on 12 March.

Express and Star

Some of the main stories on the Express and Star website today are:

• Inquest hears how friends tried to save life of murder victim Rezwan Ali, external
• Sandwell Councillor Ian Jones claims allegations are ‘politically motivated’, external
• Roadwork misery hits Wolverhampton again, external

The pub chain Wetherspoon has dropped its meat supplier, following a Food Standards Agency inspection of Russell Hume's site in Birmingham.

Image source, PA

The chairman of the pub chain apologised to customers after removing steak from the menu on its weekly steak night.

Tim Martin said the decision to remove the meat from menus "was the right one" and the company had sourced an alternative supplier and would once again serve steak dishes from Tuesday 30 January.

In a statement after the steak recall, Russell Hume, which was also supplying Jamie Oliver and Greene King, said: "The product recall was a precautionary measure because of mislabelling."

James Bond
Sports Producer, BBC Shropshire

Shrewsbury Town have avoided Chelsea's under 21's in the semi final draw for the Checkatrade Trophy and get home advantage too.

They will host either League Two Yeovil or Fleetwood, who they've already beaten in the League this season.

The other semi sees Chelsea's Under 21's take on Lincoln.

There are still flood alerts in place , externalfor the Severn and Avon in Worcestershire and River Lugg south of Leominster, says the Environment Agency.

Image source, Environment Agency

Temporary flood barriers put up in Shrewsbury are being removed this morning.

Twelve Polish nationals arrested after suspected victims of slavery were found in Birmingham have been bailed pending further inquiries, police say.

In planned raids in Handsworth, police discovered three men and two women who they believe were being exploited.

A minibus carrying suspected victims was also stopped in Westgate, Aldridge.

The eight men and four women arrested are aged between 18 and 60. There will be no further action against a 19 year-old man also arrested, West Midlands Police said.

An inquest into the death of a Coventry man who was crushed by the fork lift truck he was driving has returned a verdict of misadventure.

Image source, Google

Reginald Bacon, 53, of Winston Close, in the city, died of head injuries after the forks of his truck engaged with a lorry at a warehouse near Watford Gap services in October 2016.

The jury at Northampton Coroners' Court heard it "was an accident waiting to happen".

The Heath and Safety Executive is investigating.

Two Birmingham students say they've managed to live off food they've found in supermarket bins for the past year.

Zoe and Amber believe supermarkets should be doing more to tackle food waste.

They raise awareness of supermarket food waste by posting photos of their food hauls on social media.

Shop workers were threatened with knives and forced to open a safe during a robbery at a Co-op store in Warwickshire, police say., external

Image source, Google

Two armed men made off with cash after the incident at the shop in Gun Hill, Arley at about 06:50 yesterday.

One member of staff suffered minor injuries and all were left shaken by the attack, said Warwickshire Police.

Any witnesses are being asked to come forward.

The families of the 21 people killed in the Birmingham pub bombings will find out if fresh inquests into the deaths can consider evidence about who planted the bombs.

Image source, PA

Two devices went off in the city centre in November 1974.

A coroner had ruled out naming alleged suspects in evidence – but the campaign group Justice4the21 want to have this overturned.

They applied for a judicial review about the scope of the inquests which was granted last year.

A private investigation company which has been working with the police to find the body of a Coventry mum who disappeared 26 years ago says it has found nothing significant during searches of a country park.

Nicola Payne went missing while walking across wasteland near her parent's house in Coventry in December 1991.

A £100,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the discovery of her body.

The company "Specialist Group International" says it's carrying on the search today but then will return to Coombe Abbey country park at a future date.

After a cold start, it’ll be a dry and bright day with sunny spells expected throughout the morning with highs of 6C (43F).

A court is told Kobe Murray, 19, stabbed Ryan Passey in the heart in a Stourbridge nightclub.

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Friday.

We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather for the West Midlands.

We love to hear from you so share your news, thoughts and photos of the area with us via email, Twitter, external and Facebook., external

There are renewed calls to open some of the author's former homes to the public.