BBC News Travel

One lane has reopened on the A46 Warwick bypass, after a collision involving three vehicles.

Emergency services are still working at the scene.

A man who police believe "orchestrated" a shooting at a "rival gang member's home" in Birmingham has been jailed for three years and eight months.

Jamie Wood, 23, of Wasdale Road, Northfield, admitted conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday.

Although no-one was injured, police described it as a "hugely reckless act" that "could have fatal consequences".

Image source, West Midlands Police

Officers say Wood was caught after filming the attack on 20 February 2017 on his mobile phone.

“Wood is linked to gangs in Birmingham and this shooting stemmed from a conflict that had been playing out for up to two years," Det Sgt Alan Teague said.

"Anyone linked to gang violence and firearms needs to take note of this sentencing: we don’t need to find you with a gun or show you’ve fired a weapon in order to secure long prison sentences."

Image source, West Midlands Police

A campaign to fix an extra 11,000 potholes across Staffordshire has been launched.

Highways chiefs have pledged a further £5m on top of the annual £23.5m roads budget to both help tackle roads damaged during the winter.

Image source, Staffordshire County Council

The money will see four new pothole "zapping" machines used to fill in the holes and 12 new patching crews employed to carry out repairs on the county's roads.

Helen Fisher, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet support member for Highways and Transport, said the authority has to "prioritise repairs on its busiest roads".

Here are a selection of some of the best sunrise photos snapped in Birmingham this morning by our BBC Weather Watchers.

Image source, Dammo

Image source, Keggy

Image source, Karen J

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Stephen Topping

Bentley Motors looks set to be given the green light to redevelop its factory in Crewe.

The firm wants to build two, four-storey office blocks as part of its revamped Pyms Lane campus, which was given outline approval by Cheshire East Council in February.

Image source, Bentley Motors

The local authority's strategic planning board will make a decision on Bentley’s latest plans at a meeting in Macclesfield next Wednesday.

In a report issued ahead of the meeting, planning officers have recommended that the scheme is approved.

“This proposal would bring economic benefits and investment in an area with a long-standing association with the manufacture of motor vehicles,” the report said.

One person is being cut free from a car after a three-vehicle crash on the A46 in Warwickshire, police said.

Image source, @Veloesprit

The crash happened at the Hatton turn just after 09:00.

The road southbound remain closed between the A425 Birmingham Road and A429 Coventry Road.

There have also been several minor collisions in the queues behind the initial crash.

Coventry Live
Coventry Live

Some of the main stories on the Coventry Live website today are:

• Coventry is mecca for business travellers as they flock to the city, external
• Final moments of Jaguar Land Rover worker caught on CCTV, external
• Moment car crashes into garden near Coventry school, external

Tyrone Dorsett's family says the death of a "wonderful son and brother" has broken their hearts.

A new aluminium casting factory officially opens in Telford today, bringing around 300 jobs.

The Cosma plant on the T54 Business Park at Nedge Hill will make car parts.

Image source, Google

It's believed to be the largest automotive development in the West Midlands after the Jaguar Land Rover complex at the i54 site.

BBC News Travel

Traffic is being diverted through Warwick after a crash on the A46 Warwick bypass which has closed the road.

Emergency services are at the scene between the A425 Birmingham Road and A429 Coventry Road.

Image source, Scott Shephard

A total of 45 firefighters were called in to battled a "severe fire" at a tanning shop in Coseley.

Crews were called at 17:40 on Wednesday to the blaze at Adelle's Tanning in Castle Street, Coseley.

West Midlands Fire Service said the shop was "100% damaged" in the fire.

Image source, @WestBromFireSta

A total of six crews from Bilston, Dudley, Willenhall, Wolverhampton, Brierley Hill and West Bromwich attended and set up a cordon,

A crew of five firefighters remain at the scene dampening down.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, however the fire service confirmed that the electric and gas supplies were isolated.

BBC Weather Watchers

The BBC Weather Watchers have been out photographing early morning sunshine as temperatures are set to rise to 24C (75F) today.

Image source, Jon

Image source, absimages

Image source, Rivertramp

A man who died following a shooting in Birmingham last weekend has been named as Tyrone Dorsett.

West Midlands Police has launched a murder investigation after the 20-year-old was found with a gun shot wound to the back in South Holme at just after midnight on Sunday.

Image source, Family handout/West Midlands Police

The family of Tyrone, from Shropshire, have described him as "much-loved" and said he would be "sorely missed".

Det Insp Warren Hines said he was "determined" to find who is responsible for Mr Dorsett's death.

Express and Star

Here are some of the stories appearing on the Express & Star website this morning:

• Boy locked up for unprovoked machete attack on Polish man in Walsall, external
• Can these ambitious plans for Merry Hill rival the Trafford Centre , external
• Fierce sunbed fire ruins Black Country tanning shop, external

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl Jackson

The public is divided over plans for the West Midlands Combined Authority to take over the region’s fire service – with hundreds of people believing the move should be shelved.

Image source, Mayor of the West Midlands

A two-month consultation completed by 1,163 people has prompted a mixed response on the idea, according to responses gathered by Birmingham City Council., external

It is proposed the office of Mayor Andy Street takes on the governance of West Midlands Fire Service from as early as February next year.

It will see the dissolution of the 27-member West Midlands Fire Service Authority, which is made up of councillors from seven local authorities in Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall.

Wolves want to be one of the best clubs in the world - but their approach has not been without controversy, write Simon Stone

Four men from Burton upon Trent who exploited vulnerable girls for sexual gratification, are due to be sentenced today at Stafford Crown Court.

Image source, Staffordshire Police

Taiyab Hussain, 19, Mohammed Hizar Rizwan, 18, Shaheem Ratyal, 19, and Sohail Raja Ali, 19, pleaded guilty to various child sex offences on 9 February.

Staffordshire Police officers were told by four girls, who were just 13 and 14 years old at the time of the offences, that they had been sexually abused between December 2016 and March 2017.

Problems at a Coventry block of flats, where residents have been moved out, are a "direct result of how the flats were built by the developer," according to a housing association.

People living in the 44-flat Philmont Court, in the Tile Hill area of the city, have been told it could take up to 40 weeks to complete the work.

Whitefriars Housing Association said, like residents, they had purchased the new homes 10 years ago "believing them to be well-built", but discovered, in some instances the buildings "have not been constructed in accordance with how they were designed".

Developers Persimmon Homes said: "We are aware of issues at Philmont Court and we are in close liaison with the National House Building Council, who are leading the matter."

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

Two men have been charged with human trafficking and running a brothel , externalfollowing a series of raids in Derby and Burton.

The pair were arrested on Tuesday when officers searched properties in Uttoxeter New Road and Violet Street in Derby and Station Court in Burton.

Five women are being offered specialist support at a reception centre after being identified as suspected victims of human trafficking during the raids.

Image source, Derbyshire Police

Derbyshire Police said Geza Horvath, 32, of Station Court, Burton, and Daniel Zemencsik, 27, of Uttoxeter New Road, Derby, have both been charged with conspiracy to traffic a person with a view to sexually exploiting them and controlling a brothel for the purpose of prostitution.

A woman has been taken to hospital after her car overturned at a roundabout in Stoke-on-Trent.

It happened at about 06:30 at the junction of Moorland Road and High Lane in Smallthorne, the fire service said.

Drivers are being warned of delays on surrounding routes.