Hereford Times

Some of the main stories on the Hereford Times website today are:

• Council vote against motion to protect land for future bridge crossing, external
• Man taken to hospital following assault in Ross-on-Wye, external
• Villagers form group to conserve a well-known landmark, external

Monica Rimmer
BBC News

We told you earlier about a "trashed" playground which is for young people with special needs to use.

Claire Dainty, the charity's treasurer, said paint was thrown everywhere and they "trashed" the whole building at Old Fallings Adventure Playground, Wolverhampton.

The city council, which owns the site, said it had now put in security measures to prevent further incidents.

Over on the BBC Midlands Facebook page, external, it is something which has angered many of you.

Image source, Family picture

Activists from Peta disrupted the final of the dog show over claims it encourages "extreme breeding".

Elderly people stop their immune systems from declining by taking exercise, scientists say.

An 87-year-old man is in hospital with serious leg injuries after being hit by a car, police say., external

Image source, Google

Emergency services were called to the car park of the Co-op, in Headless Cross Drive, Redditch, on Saturday, shortly after 09:00.

Officers are calling for any witnesses to come forward.

Two intruders were wrestled to the ground after running into the show arena at the NEC in Birmingham.

BBC Weather Watchers

Now the snow is out of the way, we're back to well, more cloudy, drizzly weather.

And what two pictures better sum that up than these lovely snaps sent in by BBC Weather Watchers Dawn Treader, in Congleton, and Di's walk, in Sutton Coldfield.

Image source, Dawn Treader

Send us your weather pictures here and we'll feature our favourites.

Image source, Di's walk

Staffordshire police have unveiled their newest recruit to their police dog support unit.

Cooper, a two-year-old terrier, is in training for the next six weeks.

Image source, Staffordshire Police

The pup's trainer John Maunders, of the Staffordshire Police dog support unit, said: "He's got a long way to go yet and the standard of training is extremely high.

"If he passes with flying colours, Cooper will specialise in helping officers search for drugs, firearms and cash."

Birmingham Live

Here are some of the stories Birmingham Live are covering today:

• Heartbroken Birmingham relatives launch appeal after 'four killed in arson attack, external, including toddler'
• Watch: Hero 4x4 driver plunges into flooded ford to rescue strande, externald Mercedes
• New images of what the world’s biggest Primark will look like when it opens, external in Birmingham

The team was invited to compete in the Ability Counts League at Aston Villa.

Facebook

We've been asking you today on the BBC Midlands Facebook page what advice you would give your younger self.

It's after we asked four members of the Birmingham 1,000 Elders group at the University of Birmingham to reflect on their lives.

On the Facebook page, Karen Tunley posted, external: "Live for today not tomorrow you never know what's round that corner."

Angela Gregory added, external: "Stay strong, the best is yet to come."

While Laura Evans wrote, external: "I don't think I'd change anything, unless I could guarantee I'd get my son the way he is."

And Rob Adams went with, external: "Take a risk, say yes to women more often, smile more. Don't ride a motorcycle into a skip."

A Worcestershire woman, once featured in the BBC show DIY SOS, is trying to raise £200,000 for a life-saving operation in Spain.

Tonia Payne-Cheney, from Eckington, spent three years in hospital as a teenager with the debilitating condition Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

She has now developed cranial instability and needs to fly to Barcelona for an operation, if she can raise the funds.

Her mother Victoria Cheney said: "Effectively her brain stem is being crushed.

"The only way to stop those symptoms progressing further is to have surgery.

"We've literally got just over three weeks to raise £200,000."

A "full investigation" will be conducted into claims that more than 100 members of the public abused a man running a charity stall at Stratford-upon-Avon market on Saturday, police said.

Image source, Warwickshire Pride

Warwickshire Police said they'd made an appointment to take a statement from the member of Warwickshire Pride, who said he'd endured three hours of abuse in the town.

One person approached the stall to say that he has nothing against LGBT+ people "because it’s an illness that people can’t help catching", the organisation said.

Ch Insp Lee Kemp said: "Hate crime of any kind is completely unacceptable and we will conduct a full investigation into these incidents."

Peter Wilson
BBC Midlands Today Special Correspondent

The search for the remains of Coventry teenager Nicola Payne has resumed at Coombe Abbey this afternoon.

A specialist investigation team is carrying out searches of the lake and surrounding land to try to locate the body of the 18-year-old.

Nicola went missing from her home in Henley Green in 1991.

Peter Faulding, CEO of Specialist Group International, the firm that is leading the investigation in Coombe Country Park, said he remained confident he would find the teenager's body.

Clare Lissaman
BBC News

Families of children and young people with special needs say they can no longer use a much-loved play area after it was "completely trashed" by vandals.

The Give us a Break charity said Old Fallings Adventure Playground, Wolverhampton, provides facilities but is targeted by vandals.

Claire Dainty, (pictured) the charity's treasurer, said: "Somebody completely trashed the whole building. All the glass, all the internal doors, the kitchen. They threw paint everywhere."

The group said it had called for better security, such as roller shutter doors.

The city council, which owns the site, said it had now put in security measures to prevent further incidents.

BBC Archive

The Selecter and The Specials, at the forefront of the 2-Tone scene in Coventry, were both highlighted in an Arena documentary on this day in 1980.

NME journalist Adrian Thrills visited the city for the film Rudies Come Back.

It may not be with the original line-ups, but 38 years on both bands are still performing.

After heavy rain over the weekend and more forecast today, the Environment Agency has issued flood alerts for rivers across the region., external

Image source, Environment Agency

Flooding is possible, particularly on low lying land and rural roads.

With river levels expected to rise over the next couple of days, the flood gate at New Street in Upton-upon- Severn has been closed.

Prince Edward officially opened the new £57m venue at a gala performance in the concert hall.

A UKIP councillor and MEP has claimed an investigation into his criticism of rival politicians has cost taxpayers £1,700.

Dudley Council member Bill Etheridge sparked a row when he referred to Labour councillors in the borough as "a procession of morons and imbeciles" and "socialist do-gooder bleeding heart Communist rat bags".

In February, an investigation found he had breached the authority's code of conduct.

Mr Etheridge claimed the investigation was a politically-motivated witch hunt.

Image source, UKIP

Replying to a request for the costs of the probe, the council’s monitoring officer Mohammed Farooq revealed the independent investigator had charged £1,286.45.

Mr Etheridge claimed that, with additional council officer expenses, the final reckoning would be approximately £1,700.

Councillors will decide later this month what sanctions should be taken against Mr Etheridge.

Hannah Richardson
BBC News education and social affairs reporter

Life began at 40 for severely learning-disabled Colleen, say her sisters, when she moved into her own home.

She is living happily in her Coventry house, 11 years after leaving unsuitable residential care, thanks to a carefully-crafted network of 24-hour care and a range of state benefits.

But due to the impending removal of the housing part of her support, known as Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), that security has been mired in uncertainty and anxiety.

Colleen is one of 124,000 households in England who receive this particular benefit, external.