Local Democracy Reporting Service
David Irwin

The gender pay gap at Solihull Council is the largest of the seven authorities which make up the West Midlands, analysis of the figures reveals.

The borough council announced last month that women’s hourly rate was 18.6% lower than men’s (when taking a mean average), stretching to 27.2% when using the median figure.

Image source, Google

Now the publication of all the data, provided by both businesses and public sector bodies around the country, shows that Solihull’s percentage figures are the highest of the councils which comprise the metropolitan county.

Coventry City Council has the smallest pay gap of the seven, with 2.8% for the mean average and 0.9% when taking the median.

The mean figure is the average hourly rate, while the median figure is the middle earner for each gender - the latter is often seen as the more typical experience for the average man or woman working for the organisation.

Fire crews are dealing with a fire at an electrical substation in Coventry.

More than 25 firefighters are on site at Stoney Stanton Road.

Footage of everyday life in the city going back more than half a century is going on show.

A reward of up to £4,000 is being offered for information, after an attempted gunpoint robbery on a mother and her two children in Wolverhampton.

On stepping out of her home on Tumbler Grove Park Village at about 10:35, the woman was confronted by a masked man pointing a gun and demanding money, police said.

Image source, Crimestoppers

He searched her, her car and the children, including her daughter’s bag.

A number of neighbours, who had appeared after hearing a commotion, also had the gun pointed at them in the incident on 21 February.

The man fled the scene by making off in a white Toyota Yaris [car pictured above] that was driven by an accomplice.

Crimestoppers, external is offering the reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible.

Reaction from poet Benjamin Zephaniah, who grew up in Birmingham, and students from Wolverhampton, which was represented in the Commons by Enoch Powell.

BBC Two's Britain in Bloom series showcases Wednesfield tonight as the Black Country town hopes to better the silver award it won in last year's competition.

Headed up by the communities from the Sikh temple and the local church, the group had few funds so they have been relying on the wider community to donate all the plants they need.

You can see how they get on at 18:30 on BBC Two and afterwards on the BBC iPlayer.

The Sentinel

Here are some of the stories making the headlines on The Sentinel today:

• Victim speaks out as knifeman jailed for stabbing him in the back in broad daylight, external
• Woman taken to hospital after car flips following crash at busy roundabout, external
• Cash-strapped council set to cut methadone prescriptions for hundreds of heroin addicts, external

The team behind the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham are planning a big homecoming celebration for Team England as they return from the Gold Coast.

The free party in Victoria Square is open to the public from midday until 17:00 on Saturday.

Image source, Google / Birmingham City Council

As well as Team England athletes, the day will also feature "have-a-go" sports sessions, as well as music and dance - including Britain’s Got Talent winner Tokio Myers.

Among the sports on offer are basketball, boxing, gymnastics, judo, cycling, rugby sevens and netball, which will be staged in Victoria Square in 2022 (artist's impression above right).

Erdington rapper Lady Sanity and city spoken word poet Amerah Saleh, who both took part in the Games’ closing ceremony on Sunday, will reprise their performances, Birmingham City Council said.

It's currently 24C (75F) in Coventry city centre, the same as Athens in Greece.

Compare the temperature where you are with more than 50 cities around the world, including some of the hottest and coldest inhabited places using our handy tool.

Two men have been arrested following a police chase in Stoke-on-Trent.

A silver-coloured VW Golf made off from officers in the Boothen area just before 15:45 on Wednesday, Staffordshire Police, external said.

Following a pursuit, the car was stopped in Bassilow Road, Fenton, about 15 minutes later.

A 38-year-old man from Stoke-on-Trent was arrested on suspicion of theft and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. A 26-year-old man of no fixed address was arrested on suspicion of theft, driving whilst unfit through drink or drugs, dangerous driving and driving whilst disqualified.Both were released under investigation pending further enquiries.

The board of directors at Worcestershire engineering giant GKN have stepped down following the controversial takeover by Melrose Industries.

Image source, GKN

Melrose said an "in-depth review" of the Redditch-based firm was now under way with the government expected to waive through the £8.1bn deal as early as next week.

Melrose chairman Christopher Miller said: "We are pleased to make binding commitments to the UK and other governments around the world about our commitment to GKN and to national security."

The offer has now become wholly unconditional after Melrose won acceptances from investors who hold about 85% of GKN.

Three men arrested in connection with an incident in Worcester on Tuesday evening have been bailed while police continue to investigate.

The men, aged 44, 26 and 33 were questioned on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm after a violent disorder in Sansome Walk.

One person was taken to hospital for treatment to a bite wound to his face.

BBC News Travel

A dog centre in Worcestershire, which closed after a suspected case of canine distemper, will partially reopen today.

The Evesham Rehoming site was closed after an animal was suspected to have the serious viral infection.

Birmingham Live

Here are some of the headlines on the Birmingham Live website this morning:

• Evil couple smothered pensioner with plastic sheeting in doorstep robbery, external
• Commuters face delays into Birmingham after multiple crash on the A38 Bristol Road, external
• First picture of murder victim Tyrone Dorsett released as family pay tribute to their 'wonderful son', external

A severe fire that engulfed a factory in Tividale on Wednesday was started accidentally, West Midlands Fire Service has revealed.

The fire, which began at about 18:36 last night at the factory on Hainge Road, saw one man suffer burns to his hands - he was later treated in hospital.

Crews from Oldbury, Smethwick, Handsworth, Tipton and Billesley attend the blaze, using ventilator fans to clear the smoke and jets to tackle the flames.

Firefighters stepped down from the scene at midnight.

A Lego exhibition, featuring 13.8 million years of history, has broken visitor records at a Shropshire museum.

Image source, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery

As many as 18,697 people visited the Brick History exhibition, external between February and April at the Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery.

Image source, Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery

The council said the numbers marked a "fantastic achievement" for the museum which was "very encouraging for the future".

Ifeoluwa Adeyemi and Dupe Olawande set up the University of Birmingham's first gospel choir.

Trains between Coventry and Birmingham International are running at a reduced speed on the route towards Birmingham New Street.

Virgin Trains said it is due to a "fault in the signalling system".

Chelsea Ladies have five players in the PFA Women's Super League One Team of the Year for 2017-18.