Tributes are being paid to Sir Ken Dodd, who's died aged 90, and who regularly played venues across the West Midlands.

Express and Star

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

• Revealed: Jeff Shi's 50,000-seat stadium vision for Wolves, external
• Gang hunted after ram-raid at Smethwick jewellers, external
• Jeff Astle’s widow hit by missile during West Brom clash, external

Proceedings at the annual Crufts dog show at the NEC in Birmingham were temporarily halted last night after two protesters stormed the stage.

Image source, Getty Images

It's believed they were from animal rights group Peta - that condemned Crufts for the way it encourages certain types of dog breeding.

A statement on its website said: "Crufts glorifies canine eugenics, rewarding breeders for producing dogs with 'ideal' physical traits with little or no regard for their welfare."

Crufts and the NEC Group said they would review security procedures as "a matter of urgency" as the scare frightened the dogs and risked their safety.

BBC News Travel

The A45 westbound at Stonebridge island, in Warwickshire, remains closed due to a serious collision, police said.

The road between Maxstoke Land and Birmingham Road was closed from about 19:30 yesterday close to the Meriden archery club.

Diversions are in place via Meriden.

The road is likely to remain closed for some time, police said.

BBC Weather

It will be cloudy during the morning with a risk of showers and even some longer spells of rain. Further showers this afternoon, some of which will be lengthy. Highs of 7C.

More from BBC Weather.

BBC Business News

Turnaround specialist Melrose has increased its offer for engineering giant GKN from £7.4bn to £8.1bn.

Image source, GKN

Melrose is now offering 467p per share, and has also raised the amount GKN shareholders will own from 57% to 60%.

It says all recent attempts to engage in "constructive discussions" with GKN have been blocked.

GKN has fought hard against the offer. It has offered to give back £2.5bn to shareholders and agreed to merge its car unit with US company Dana.

GKN has sites in Birmingham, Leek and Telford and a headquarters in Redditch.

A multimillion-pound project aiming to ease congestion and improve journey times on part of the M6 starts today.

Highways England estimates about 120,000 vehicles use the stretch between junctions two for Coventry and four for Coleshill every day.

From today there will be three narrow lanes with a mandatory speed limit of 50mph while works are carried out to create a so-called smart motorway.

The search for the remains of the Coventry teenager Nicola Payne resumes at Coombe Country Park today.

Image source, Family picture

The 18-year-old mother-of-one went missing while walking across wasteland near her parents' house in Coventry on 14 December 1991.

The team of ex-military specialists has been using sonar and ground radar equipment around the park in Warwickshire.

Rich Davis
BBC Weather presenter

It will be a cloudy day with showers this morning and more rain this afternoon with highs of 9C (48F).

The latest news, sport, travel and weather for Birmingham and the Black Country.

The latest news, sport, travel and weather across the West Midlands and south Cheshire.

Two patients operated on by consultant neurosurgeon Hussien El-Maghraby went on to die.

The letters, encouraging people to commit violent acts, have been received around the country.

Around 400 people take part in a "solemn and respectful" march in Shrewsbury with Syrians living in the county.

Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce says it would take "an almighty collapse" to stop Wolves going up, despite Saturday's win.

Chris Young's hunt for his former English tutor drew massive support - leading them to be reunited.

Four people from the University of Birmingham's 1000 Elders group on what they might do differently.

West Brom boss Alan Pardew says he will talk to owner Lai Guochuan about his future but concedes the Chinese might believe a "change is a better thing".

Leaders Wolves fall to their heaviest Championship defeat of the season as they are taken apart by rampant Aston Villa.

Charlie Kirk scores in the seventh minute of injury time as Crewe salvage a draw at Stevenage in League Two.