Owners of run-down buildings in Telford are being offered grants of £150,000 to help smarten them up for the town's 50th birthday.

The Labour-run Telford and Wrekin Council is making £1m available for projects in Madeley, Newport, Dawley, Wellington and Oakengates.

Image source, Google

Applicants will have to match fund and the work must be finished by March next year.

The Conservative group leader, Andrew Eade, is questioning spending the money while increasing council tax.

England’s metro mayors are meeting today in Birmingham to call on the government to review the way in which funding for new housing is allocated.

They say investment in housing supply and the construction industry will accelerate economic growth.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said he'd written to the Prime Minister to ask for government support for the plans.

The Duke of Cambridge will visit Triumph Motorcycles in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and the HORIBA MIRA Technology Park in Warwickshire today.

Image source, Getty Images

The Duke will experience new technology developed at the Nuneaton site, including driverless vehicles, as well as the high speed and wet weather handling test tracks.

He'll also meet some of the company's apprentices and PhD students.

Alice Hutton, BBC News

The government has announced a review into the future of the newspaper industry, warning that the closure of hundreds of regional papers is fuelling fake news and is “dangerous for democracy”.

But is it already too late?

Former Coventry Evening Telegraph printer Mick Williams gave BBC News a look at the newspaper's heyday.

A Spanish court has decided not to pursue a case against the four West Bromwich Albion players accused of stealing a taxi in Barcelona last week.

Image source, Getty Images

Gareth Barry, Jonny Evans, Jake Livermore and Boaz Myhill were questioned but not arrested by police, who passed the case to a local judge.

The club is still holding its own investigation.

A woman is due in court charged after paramedics were verbally abused and an abusive note was left on an ambulance dealing with a 999 call.

Paramedics from West Midlands Ambulance Service were abused during an emergency in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, on Sunday.

Kirsty Sharman, 26, from Tunstall, has been charged with a public order offence and breaching a restraining order.

She is due to appear at North Staffordshire Justice Centre later.

A man has died after being hit by a car which failed to stop, says the ambulance service., external

Paramedics were called to the A449 Stafford Road in Wolverhampton shortly after 18:00 last night.

The service said crews found bystanders doing CPR on a man who had suffered "very serious injuries".

Ambulance service spokesman Murray MacGregor, said: "It quickly became apparent that there was nothing that could be done to save the man and he was confirmed dead at the scene."

Police are treating the death of Sarbjit Kaur, 38, as murder, but the motive is "unclear".

An informal agreement to work more closely together , externalhas been signed by Warwickshire County Council and West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority (WMFRA).

Image source, Warwickshire County Council

The memorandum of understanding was signed by council leader Izzi Seccombe and chair of the WMFRA, Councillor John Edwards.

All aspects of delivering services and support functions are to be reviewed as part of the agreement.

Andy Hickmott, Chief Fire Officer for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “It is vital that we collaborate to ensure that we maintain and improve the way that we deliver our services".

Phil Loach, Chief Fire Officer for West Midlands Fire Service added he was "optimistic that this agreement signals the intention to broaden and deepen the relationship between our respective services".

The number of child sex offences recorded by police in Warwickshire rose by 45% last year, compared to a national rise of 15%.

Image source, PA

Figures from the NSPCC show sex offences across the UK are at an all-time high.

Staffordshire Police saw a 25% rise and in the West Mercia region it was up 14%.

West Midlands Police was the only force in the area to see a small drop.

The organisation is calling for increased support and training for police to help tackle the problem.

Rich Davis
BBC Weather presenter

After a damp start there should be some sunny spells before cloud moves in from the east this afternoon with highs of 7C (45F).

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Tuesday.

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

With more than 200 regional papers having closed since 2005, the government has launched a review of the industry.

Victims of Barry Bennell tell Liverpool Crown Court how his abuse devastated their lives.

Here's what we've been told about the problems causing delays between Cheltenham, Worcester and Birmingham New Street.

Disruption is expected until 11pm.

Paramedics were verbally abused and an abusive note was left on an ambulance during an emergency.

We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather for the Midlands from 07:00 on Tuesday.

But keep an eye out here for any news or travel updates throughout the night.

Nicola Beckford
Reporter, BBC Midlands Today

Is it ever too cold for ice cream? Apparently not for one Staffordshire man.

Karl has just been voted the best ice cream van man in the UK.

Tony's Ices, which has been open for business for more than 25 years, scooped the award at the annual Ice Cream Alliance awards.

Image source, bbc

BBC WM Sport

West Bromwich Albion boss Alan Pardew has accepted he's under pressure after a nightmare week ended by going out of the FA Cup 2-1 to Southampton.

Image source, Getty Images

Pardew has won just three of 16 games in charge and some of today's papers are suggesting he has just two games to save his job.

It comes after four players apologised over the alleged theft of a taxi during a training camp in Barcelona last week.

West Brom have launched an investigation into the events.