Staffordshire Fire and Rescue's chief officer is to retire in the autumn, she has announced.

Rebecca Bryant said she felt "very privileged" to have been part of the changes that have happened within the service during her 29 years there.

Staffordshire Police, Fire and Rescue and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Ellis, said: "Becci has dedicated nearly three decades of her life to the fire and rescue service and keeping people safe.

"I know she has always strived to make a real difference and is driven by the need to protect and improve lives – a duty she takes very seriously."

Atif Ayub, 25, is jailed for 12 months after driving the wrong way on a dual carriageway.

Three people, including a 15-year-old boy, are due to appear before magistrates later charged with the theft of two dogs from outside a shop.

Image source, Cheshire Police

The black Labradors were taken from the street outside a Marks & Spencer store on Beam Street, Nantwich, Cheshire, on Saturday.

Police said, external the dogs were found in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, and reunited with their owners.

A 37-year-old man, a 28-year-old woman and the 15-year-old, all from Stoke-on-Trent, have been charged with theft.

Durham sign all-rounder Alex Thomson on a two-month loan from Warwickshire to play in the County Championship.

Shropshire Star

The headlines reported by the Shropshire Star today:

• Call for end to ‘ludicrous’ rule stopping travel between border, external
• Dangerous driver ploughed into elderly couple's Telford home, external
• Six-year project to build hundreds of new homes in Ellesmere, external

Tuesday saw the warmest March day for 50 years and we can expect another sunny day today.

It will be warm and dry, with temperatures reaching up to 21C (69F).

Get the latest forecast for where you are from BBC Weather.

Marie Frayne was homeless for five years before The Shrewsbury Ark and other agencies stepped in.

The Smarts said they would be able to better support their nine-year-old who has a spinal condition.

Police used thermal imaging cameras to spot dozens of people partying under an M6 bridge.

Police issued 22 fines after discovering about 30 people at the event near Coleshill.

Prisoners threw furniture, smashed cameras and barricaded themselves in a cell at HMP Featherstone.

The British Motoring Museum is set to host 14 shows and rallies over the summer following its reopening on 17 May.

Image source, British Motoring Museum

The site at Gaydon, Warwickshire, which has been closed during the lockdown, is to hold events including the Metro and Mini show on 6 June and Old Ford Rally in July.

Meanwhile, the Gaydon Land Rover Show on 31 July and 1 August will bring "the finest vehicles, owners and historians together for a weekend dedicated to this iconic marque", organisers said.

They advised all visitors to pre-book their tickets for the venue and events which will observe government guidelines.

Fines were issued after a memorial event marking the anniversary of the 1974 attacks in Birmingham.

The incident involving an officer in Wolverhampton was widely shared on social media.

Image source, Staffordshire Police

The mother of man who died suddenly at property in Stoke-on-Trent said her heart had been "shattered into a million pieces" by his loss.

Bartlomiej (Bartek) Sobon, 34, died at a house in Lime Street on 20 February.

Four people arrested on suspicion of his murder were released as inquiries continue.

Bartek's mother, who paid tribute after an inquest into his death was opened and adjourned, said the pain she felt "could not be compared to anything".

"Only a mother can understand what I am feeling," she said.

“I will love you till the end of my life dearest son, until we meet again.”

A woman, 30, and two men aged 35 and 42 have been released under investigation, police said. A man, 32, was released on conditional bail.

A charity which helps people find employment has begun a campaign to increase diversity in workplaces.

Image source, Landau

Landau's We See You campaign will tell the stories of some of the 3,000 people it has helped into work or training.

Landau, which recently marked its 25th anniversary,says organisations also benefit from having a "more inclusive culture".

Chief executive Sonia Roberts said it would help "shine a spotlight on those people with hidden disabilities and challenges who with the right help and training can be supported into the workforce".

The initiative's start coincides with Autism Awareness Week but it will continue throughout 2021.

Independent experts are looking at 23 cases of a specific procedure between 2017 and 2019.

Birmingham Live

Here are some of the stories on the Birmingham Live website today:

• Gas explosion rocks Darlaston Road in Walsall with residents warned 'avoid area', external
• Schoolboy charged with attempted murder after man 'stabbed in head' in Handsworth, external
• Kidnap arrests after police stop VW Golf in Sparkbrook - 'victim safe', external

Thomas Jones died after a night out in Worcester in September 2018.

The explosion in Walsall caused significant damage to the property and a passing car.