Investigations are continuing after illegal tobacco and alcohol was seized in Shropshire.

HM Revenue and Customs visited five shops and two self-storage units in Telford and Shrewsbury. From four shops, officers recovered more than 25,000 cigarettes, 18 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco and nearly 3,500 litres of alcohol - all believed to be illicit.

The visits took place last Thursday and a car was also seized.

The former chief executive of the out-sourcing giant Carillion has told MPs he's sorry the firm collapsed.

Keith Cochrane who took over as interim chief executive in July 2017 is one of several former directors of the Wolverhampton-based company giving evidence today to MPs.

Carillion went into liquidation last month after running up losses on contracts and struggling with large debts.

Follow live updates on the BBC Business live page as it follows developments of the committee hearings.

Sessions will be cancelled and 17 people made redundant as blood donation services are cut in Shropshire, NHS Blood and Transplant says.

The Telford donation team is to be disbanded and county donors will instead be supported by workers from Sutton Coldfield.

NHS Blood and Transplant says about 9,500 active blood donors will be affected.

Image source, Getty Images

A spokeswoman for the service says it is making the changes because demand for blood in hospitals is declining.

The changes will take effect from March.

Michelle Dawes
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

A Coventry man's been jailed for 23 years after being found guilty of attempted murder.

Adrian Brock attacked a man with a kitchen knife in the Holyhead pub in October 2016.

Brock had been arguing with his partner and followed her to the venue where he saw her talking to the victim.

He was carrying a 20cm (8 inch) kitchen knife and stabbed the man twice in the stomach before walking towards the city centre.

He admitted wounding with intent but denied attempted murder. He was found guilty at Warwick Crown Court at an earlier hearing.

Work has begun to raise the A4104 in Upton-on-Severn in a bid to reduce the risk of flooding.

Last year, flooding closed the road for several days and the only way to access the Worcestershire town was by boat or army truck.

Image source, Google Maps

The road is to be raised by up to 0.8m (2.5ft) along a stretch of about 500m between the A38 and marina.

It is also set to be widened.

Jake Palfreyman died in hospital after being found in the street with head and torso injuries.

William Shakespeare's birthplace has been named alongside The Beatles' recording studio in a list of the buildings that have shaped England's musical and literary heritage.

The Haçienda club in Manchester also makes Historic England's list.

Image source, LEON NEAL

A man in his 70s paid thousands of pounds to a rogue trader, police say.

It happened in Stourport, Worcestershire, on 19 January, when the victim was approached by a stranger who offered to check the roof of his home

He handed over the money to "strengthen the chimney".

The trader returned with his "manager" one week later, saying more work was needed.

The alarm was raised by the pensioner's bank when he went to withdraw a further large sum.

The men are said to have been travelling in a white van with writing on the side.

A man is in hospital with potentially life-changing injuries after a crash near Hereford, police say.

The head-on collision happened on the A465 Hereford to Bromyard Road just before 14:15 on Monday.

The hurt man - in his 30s - was driving a Toyota Yaris travelling westbound towards Hereford when it crashed with a Volkswagen Golf travelling eastbound towards Burley Gate.

Image source, Google Maps

The driver of the Golf, also in his 30s, was taken to hospital in Hereford and released with minor injuries. The Toyota driver remains in hospital in Birmingham.

A police investigation into the death of a 21-year-old man who was found in the street with serious injuries has concluded - with no action to be taken against a pair who'd been suspected of his murder.

Image source, Family handout

Jake Palfreyman from Atherstone died in hospital last year after suffering head and torso wounds. He was found in Barsby Close, Atherstone, after being involved in what police called an incident.

The Warwickshire force said it submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service which decided there was insufficient evidence pertaining to a Coventry man aged 32 and a 50-year-old from Atherstone who had been arrested on suspicion of murdering Mr Palfreyman.

The force says a file has been handed to the coroner.

The mysterious death of a man in Worcester in 1905 has finally been solved.

The descendants of victim Thomas Heeks and a local author discovered he was murdered by his wife's lover.

Bob Blanford said he was contacted by Mr Heeks's great great granddaughter, Caroline Bennett to see if he could help.

He said he was intrigued by the case.

Sajad Hussain bled to death on his doorstep, with his unaware family members inside the house.

From a windswept vicarage to a rave club, here are England's top literary and musical locations.

Two vans and a BT storage box have been destroyed in a fire in Hereford.

The blaze at Old Mushroom Farm in Haywood Lane is believed to have happened at about 20:20 on Saturday. A Mercedes flat bed and Renault master van were lost.

No one was injured but police say they would like to know about any suspicious activity in the area in the run up to the fire.

A broken down train is causing problems on services running between Birmingham Moor Street and Dorridge.

West Midlands Railway says the issue is causing services to be delayed or cancelled.

Hilda Burkitt joined the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in Birmingham in 1907.

A night heron named Noddy that began living in Shrewsbury can't be returned to his pond.

Noddy had been hanging out in the Dingle but amid bird lovers' concern over his condition, the animal was taken in by Cuan Wildlife Rescue in Much Wenlock late last year.

He's an American Black Crowned Night Heron and, as a non-native, cannot be released into the wild under UK law.

Image source, Cuan Wildlife Rescue

Staff at Cuan have found a wildlife specialist who'll look after him in quarantine, then it is likely he'll be passed on to a zoo or private collector in Europe.

Trish Adudu
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

There are calls for Coventry City Council to help charities that could be made homeless due to redevelopment plans.

About 40 organisations based at Coventry Point have until the end of the month to leave after eviction notices were issued.

The tower block on Market Way in the city centre is set to be demolished under the City Centre South proposals, external.

Image source, Google

Aviva which owns the building says it understands that "the city council is buying the building in preparation to demolish it as part of the development of South Side".

A spokesman for the authority said: "We have been contacted by some of the groups based in the building and we are putting them in touch with organisations who may be able to help."

The jury in the trial of former Crewe coach Barry Bennell is set to hear closing speeches from the defence this morning.

Now known as Richard Jones, Mr Bennell, 64, denies sexually abusing 11 boys between 1979 and 1990.

Image source, PA

Yesterday, the jury was directed to give not guilty verdicts in relation to three of the 48 offences.

Judge Clement Goldstone QC said there was not evidence in relation to three counts of indecent assault.

In court on Monday, the prosecution said Mr Bennell was a "child molester on an industrial scale".

Stephanie Barnard
BBC News

More than 30 firefighters are tackling a house fire in Birmingham.

A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service tells me a 999 call was made at about 06:15 reporting a blaze in Hamstead Road, Handsworth.

All of the building has been affected and a hydraulic platform is being used to stop flames spreading to the adjoining property.

Image source, West Midlands Fire Service

The condition of two men was checked at the scene but they are not thought to have been injured.

Hamstead Road remains closed between Villa Road & Churchill Road while the emergency services attend.

Image source, West Midlands Fire Service