A woman who's been on dialysis for 20 years could be the first ever to run the London Marathon while still undergoing treatment.

Maddy Warren from Southam suffers from a condition, FSGS, which caused her kidneys to fail and is resistant to steroids, chemotherapy and unable to have a transplant.

She said she's running "to celebrate 20 years of being kept alive by my trusty dialysis machine sidekick".

Kidney Care UK said it believes she'll be the first female dialysis patient to compete in the marathon.

People are risking their lives by cooling off in rivers and lakes, the Environment Agency is warning.

Yesterday was the warmest April day since 1949, and young people were spotted swimming by the weir in Shrewsbury.

Image source, Chris Bainger

Chris Bainger, from the Environment Agency, said the water temperature was 13C and chilly enough to cause cold water shock, one of the main causes of drowning.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl Jackson

A crackdown on faulty – and also deadly – white goods and their suppliers has been launched across Birmingham.

Image source, West Midlands Fire Service

Birmingham City Council is spearheading the scheme and the head of trading standards has vowed to speak with officers at West Midlands Fire Service to explore how legislation can be used to bring forward enforcement action.

Firefighters in the region say they're called out more than once a week to a white goods fire, in particular blazes which originate from tumble dryers.

More than 150 people are expected to have to leave their flats in Rugby, Warwickshire, after a survey found the buildings either need refurbishing or replacing.

The two 10-storey blocks at Biart Place in Rugby were built in the 1960s.

Rugby Borough councillors are being asked to approve plans that would see all tenants given alternative accommodation along with compensation.

A council survey found the blocks were made of a large panel system construction to a "poor standard" that "may not perform as expected in the event of a fire".

BBC News Travel

Trains are being replaced by buses between Longbridge and Redditch due to a signalling fault near Selly Oak and University.

West Midlands Railway said tickets were also being accepted on National Express buses and Cross Country services between Tamworth and Birmingham New Street.

Disruption is expected to last until 09:30.

Scanning technology at University of Warwick reveals the secrets of an important specimen.

A Herefordshire woman, who has vascular dementia, is making her final preparations for this weekend's London Marathon.

Sue Strachan, 62, was diagnosed with the condition, caused by reduced blood flow to the brain, external, in September 2014.

After her diagnosis, she was told by her doctor that keeping fit and exercising could help manage her symptoms.

A Wolverhampton MP says she's confident that a plaque will never be erected in honour of her controversial predecessor Enoch Powell.

Wolverhampton's Civic Society is considering placing a plaque outside his former home.

Image source, Getty Images

Eleanor Smith, who now holds his Wolverhampton South West seat, said although he's part of history, "he's not to be celebrated in any way whatsoever".

Fifty years ago today Enoch Powell delivered one of the most divisive speeches ever made by a British politician.

By permitting mass immigration, the Wolverhampton MP said the country was "heaping up its own funeral pyre".

Image source, Getty Images

What was its effect on Wolverhampton in 1968 and how differently does the city look today?

Read more.

Warwick District Council is planning to put in a bid to bring Channel Four to Leamington Spa.

The government has urged the broadcaster to relocate from London to seek out a new audience.

Image source, Channel 4

The West Midlands Combined Authority, which incorporates Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country is pushing for the channel to move to its area.

Bids are to be submitted by 11 May.

Matthew Hill
BBC Midlands Today

A father of two has made a special plea from his hospital bed in Birmingham for more people from the Afro-Caribbean community to go on the bone marrow register.

Vaughan Scott is being treated for leukaemia at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and has been told he has only a slim chance of survival without a bone marrow transplant.

Currently there's a chronic shortage of donors from ethnic minority communities.

Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter

We can expect another fine and sunny day, with highs of 21C (70F).

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

The world-famous specimen is the world's best-preserved example of the extinct bird.

We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 tomorrow, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening and into the morning.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Kerry Ashdown

Homeless people in Stoke-on-Trent could get better access to healthcare after £47,000 was earmarked for a service in the city.

A specialist nurse will work with the city’s four hostels to address the needs of rough sleepers, under plans being considered by Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire’s Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

Image source, Getty Images

Voices, a support service for people battling issues including homelessness, is also involved in the scheme.

The CCGs’ governing bodies were asked to approve a decision to go ahead with the service, which will require £47,000 funding, at a public meeting on Tuesday.

It seems we're not the only ones feeling the heat. At West Midland Safari & Leisure Park, external, this giraffe cooled down in the sweltering temperatures with a huge ice lolly.

Worcester News

Here are some of the stories making the headlines on the Worcester News website this afternoon:

• Firefighters received 40 calls to fire in the open, external
• City's first rooftop bar in years opens – just in time for the sun, external
• Last wish for terminally ill city girl to come true, external

BBC WM Sport

The Birmingham City, external manager Garry Monk says he was persuaded not to go through with an appeal against Harlee Dean's red card last weekend after taking advice.

Image source, Empics

Dean (pictured above) will now miss two of Blues' last three games of the season after being sent off for the second time in the campaign. He has been dismissed in both fixtures against Wolves.

Monk's initial feeling was that Blues should appeal, but he has been explaining that his mind was eventually changed.

Fox cubs rescued by Cuan Wildlife Rescue centre in Shropshire have been enjoying the sun today.

The centre, based in Much Wenlock, cares for and rehabilitates injured and orphaned animals until they can be released back into the wild.

Staff said the cubs were particularly excited as they were exploring a new specially created habitat.