A coroner says "excessive speed" caused the crash that killed six people in Birmingham.

Firefighters in the West Midlands could strike over contracts for new entrants into the service.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said new imposed contracts by West Midlands Fire Authority are "exploitative of the newest employees".

Image source, Getty Images

Firefighters entering the service would take on any work the service dictates outside the agreed role of a firefighter, the union said.

Andrew Scattergood, chair of the FBU in the West Midlands, said: “There is an overwhelming strength of feeling that these contracts are bad for the fire service, firefighters and the public they serve."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Campaigners have lost their battle to move a HS2 railhead earmarked for land near Stone in Staffordshire to an alternative site.

Campaigners fear that more than 500 HGVs a day are expected on roads near Stone during the construction of the HS2 railhead.

Stone Railhead Crisis Group petitioned Parliament to move the railhead and infrastructure maintenance base to an alternative site near Madeley.

Vandals have put two trams out of action....

West Midlands firefighters have voted by nine to one in favour of strikes in a dispute over new contracts for new entrants, the Fire Brigades Union has announced.

The storms which battered Birmingham over the weekend saw a tree brought down onto a car.

It happened on Shady Lane in Great Barr on Sunday, just after 17:00.

Image source, Lara Pike.

Resident Lara Pike took some pictures of the scene. She said the road was temporarily blocked while the emergency services arrived and the branches were cleared.

The male driver was uninjured and had been able to get out of the vehicle, the ambulance service said.

Express and Star

Here are some of the top stories to feature online:

• Transgender people encouraged to become Church of England priest, external
• Dog left needing 26 stitches after vicious Wolverhampton attack, external
• Wolverhampton hospital trust fined £770,000 for ambulance delays in two years, external

Peter James Knight set out to learn about his new home and recreated how the city used to look.

Get ready for another tear jerking episode of Ambulance on BBC One on Thursday.

West Midlands Ambulance are followed by camera crews recording their every move.

Joan Cummins
Midlands Today reporter

A volunteer for the Blood Bike service has urged motorists to think about cyclist's safety after his bike was written off as he returned from an "urgent delivery".

He suffered minor injuries but says the damage has put their service at risk.

The blood bikers of Warwickshire and Solihull have carried out almost 6,000 jobs since they were set up in 2012 - the charity is supported by 80 volunteers who run the bikes and fundraising.

Tony Saunders is proud of the work he does as a blood biker helping the NHS but last week as he returned from a delivery he was hit by a motorist who was turning in traffic.

With a fleet of four bikes - the charity is now down to three.

BBC News Travel

One lane closed is closed on the M5 northbound between J6 and J5 (Droitwich) due to a single vehicle accident, warns Highways England., external

Drivers are advised to approach with caution.

The county show in Staffordshire takes place over the next two days.

Thousands of people are expected to gather at the showground outside Stafford this Wednesday and Thursday.

From dancing diggers through the grand main ring - there's lots on offer including a whole lot of delicious locally produced food - gates open from 10:00., external

Image source, Staffordshire County Show

Stoke-on-Trent Live

Here are some of the top stories to feature online:

• Grieving relatives: 'How can drink-driver who killed TWO men be allowed to drive where we live and work?', external
• Man, 26, dies after walking streets 'visibly injured', external
• Couple and young child flee arson attack on their Stoke-on-Trent home in middle of night, external

Birmingham residents say more should be done to protect homes flooded three times in nine years.

Tyler Kendall pleaded guilty to causing the death of Vikki Jones by dangerous driving.

Phil Mackie
Midlands correspondent, BBC News

A car involved in a crash in Birmingham city centre last December, in which six people were killed, was travelling at about 100mph, an inquest has heard.

The speeding driver also had traces of cannabis in his blood.

Zakkria Khan, the only survivor from the speeding Audi, told the inquest that he can’t remember anything that happened between getting in the car and waking up in hospital.

Image source, PA

A cab driver, father-of-six Imtiaz Mohammed, was killed, along with his passengers, Lucy Davis, a mother-of-two, and her partner, nuclear physicist Lee Jenkins.

Three of the four people in the Audi, including the driver, were thrown from the car, suffering fatal "catastrophic head injuries", according to Pc Keith Evans, the first police officer at the scene.

Concluding the taxi's occupants died as a result of a crash, senior coroner Louise Hunt said the cause of the collsion was a result of excessive speed. She added cannabis found in the Audi driver's system contributed to the manner of driving and the crash.

Inquests into the death's of the Audi's occupants are due to take place on Wednesday.

Livingston offer David Hopkin a new deal as Shrewsbury Town admit they are aware the manager is pondering his future.

Police receive reports of blood-covered man trying to get into people's cars.

As residents in parts of Birmingham begin the big clean-up, why are their houses so affected by floods?

A man charged with murder following a fatal shooting has appeared in court.

Taimoor Zaheer, 22, was found in a car with gunshots wounds and confirmed dead in Maxwell Avenue in Handsworth, police said.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Anib Khan, 23, appeared at Birmingham Crown Court charged with his murder following the killing on 22 May.

He was remanded into custody to reappear at the same court on 22 June.

A 23-year-old woman arrested last week on suspicion of assisting an offender was released pending further investigation.