The former chief constable of West Mercia Police is leading a bid to keep a collection of Edward Elgar archives in Worcestershire.

The Elgar Foundation Birthplace Management Committee decided to move the documents to the British Museum, saying they are of national significance, but some people in Malvern, where they are currently stored, want them to stay at his birthplace museum.

Image source, Getty Images

Paul West has now launched a crowdfunding appeal in the hope of raising enough money to preserve, fully catalogue and digitise the material in Worcestershire.

The Elgar Foundation has said "one of the most exciting prospects of sending the research archive to the British Library" is that it will be digitised and made available to people around the world.

A man in his 40s who was taken to hospital after an attack in Telford on Monday afternoon has died of his injuries.

He was found unconscious in Withywood Drive in the Malinslee area and the death is now being treated as murder.

Six people, three teenagers and three adults, have been arrested in connection with the incident and they remain in police custody.

Lucy King
News Editor, BBC Radio Stoke

A pupil's been excluded from a school in Stoke-on-Trent for carrying a knife, police have today confirmed.

Image source, Google

Officers say they were called to Meir Heath Academy last Thursday after teachers were alerted and confiscated the knife.

The force says an investigation, involving its youth offending team, is currently taking place.

BBC Radio Stoke's approached the school for a response but haven't yet had a reply.

Birmingham Live

The Birmingham Live website is covering these main stories today:

• Almost 400 patients offered blood tests after doctor hid his HIV status, external
• Police smash cannabis factory based in city council flat, external
• Drink-driver used car 'as a weapon to plough into pedestrian', external

Faith Page
Reporter, BBC Shropshire

A police officer has been charged with a further 31 sexual offences.

Cheshire constable Ian Naude, of Shropshire Street in Market Drayton, is accused of new offences including misconduct in a public office, possession of indecent images and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The 30-year-old previously denied rape and two sexual assault charges during a hearing in December.

He's due to appear before magistrates in Crewe on Friday.

Allen Cook
BBC News

An old road that could date back centuries has been uncovered by workers extending the Midland Metro tram line.

Image source, Birmingham City Council

They're currently working in Victoria Square on the latest part of the network.

The city council's deputy leader Brigid Jones tweeted that they'd found the road while excavating the area., external

Initially, she said experts told her that it could be Roman or Saxon but tweeted a follow-up to say speculation also suggested it might be medieval or Victorian., external

Archaeologists are being brought in to date it.

Two men have been charged following a robbery, external at a home in which it's claimed a knife was held to a baby's throat.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Police say it happened in Cheswick Close, Coventry on Monday and two children, aged three and the other 10 months, along with two women, were inside at the time.

Officers say they were threatened with a craft knife before the thieves made off with cash and jewellery.

Today, they say two men from London, aged 24 and 21, have been charged with robbery and are due to appear before magistrates later.

The Court of Appeal has increased jail sentences for two members of a gang that planned to flood the North West and Midlands with cocaine and heroin.

Image source, Greater Manchester Police

David Reece, 55, of Ludlam Avenue, Nottinghamshire, and Everton Bailey, 57, of Mandarin Way, Derbyshire, were each jailed for 16 years in April 2018 for conspiracy to import Class A drugs.

Attorney General Jeremy Wright MP appealed against the sentences, on the grounds they were too lenient.

A judge increased the sentences for both to 19 years.

BBC Midlands Today

The Bank of England should open an office in Birmingham to help fix the UK's productivity crisis, according to a report commissioned by the Labour Party.

Image source, Getty Images

The shadow chancellor John McDonnell claims an office in the country's second city would help boost areas outside of London.

He will promise to "reform the economic architecture of the country" at the launch of the report today.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

The top stories for the Stoke-on-Trent live page today include:

• Boy 'excluded' after taking knife into primary school, external
• Grieving family's emotional tribute to mum-of-six, external
• Taxpayers stump up extra £1.8m to build 3.5-mile new road, external

Monica Rimmer
BBC News

The investigation into the death of a mother of three killed in a suspected hit-and-run crash is "ongoing", West Midlands Police said.

Noreen Akhtar, 38, from Banbury, Oxfordshire was struck by a vehicle on Saturday at about 23:30 outside a cafe in Sparkhill, Birmingham.

Image source, Google

The family has "asked for privacy" and police are continuing to appeal for witnesses.

Det Sgt Paul Hughes said earlier: "I would ask the driver to do the right thing and speak to police so they can get across their side of the story."

BBC One

Conjoined twins who made headlines around the world after their birth in 1970 have watched a news report of their arrival for the first time.

Anna and Barbara Rozycki, from Coventry, were joined at the chest and abdomen and shared the same liver.

Surgeons at Birmingham Children's Hospital successfully separated the sisters - the first time this had happened in the UK.

You can watch this story in full in How the NHS Changed Our World, featuring Dr Hilary Jones, on BBC One in the Midlands at 19:00 this evening, or afterwards on iPlayer.

Louise Hancock
Newsreader, BBC WM

The Chief Constable of West Midlands Police says it's getting harder and harder to meet increased demands on the service.

Dave Thompson says the force has more than 2,000 fewer officers than in 2010, while the pressure from threats like terrorism and violent crime has risen dramatically.

He's supporting an upcoming meeting between West Midlands MPs and the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid,, external saying he needs more money to police the region effectively.

Mr Javid, in a speech to the Police Federation last month, has promised to ensure police officers have the resources they need and says he will make funding for front-line staff a priority.

Faith Page
Reporter, BBC Shropshire

A specialist recycling plant says it's seen thousands of flat screen TVs being thrown out in the build up to this year's World Cup.

Image source, Veolia

Veolia says 65% more flat screen TVs, or about 10,500, were sent to its UK facility in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, compared with the same time last year., external

The waste company says big events such as the World Cup often see an increase in people upgrading their televisions.

Lee Blakeman
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

The prison sentence given to the former Crewe Alexandra coach Barry Bennell for child sexual abuse will be reviewed today.

He was convicted in February of 50 counts of indecent assault against 12 boys between 1979 and 1991.

The 64-year-old was sentenced to 31 years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court but applied to the Court of Appeal to have the term reduced.

Three judges in London will hear the appeal today.

Worcestershire will be looking to put their One-Day Cup disappointment behind them as they return to County Championship Division One action today.

Image source, ALLSPORT/Getty Images

The Pears lost their semi-final on Sunday to Kent - this morning, they host Lancashire in their latest four-day match.

In Division Two, Warwickshire are away at Kent, a meeting of the current top two in the division.

Express and Star

The Express and Star has these top stories today:

• £900k owl sanctuary project scrapped after two years, external
• Speed limit could be slashed at accident blackspot, external
• Man jailed for threatening to shoot his father with a shotgun, external

BBC Midlands Today

People representing survivors of child sexual exploitation in Telford will attend a meeting with the local council today.

It comes ahead of the commissioning of an independent inquiry into abuse.

Telford and Wrekin Council has set aside £350,000 for the inquiry.

The decision to hold the independent investigation was made on 10 April, following fresh claims about the scale of the problem, made in the Sunday Mirror.

Three representatives of the survivors will take part in a move designed to ensure victims' views are heard before the inquiry begins.

Sara Blizzard
BBC Weather

It's started off mainly cloudy across the West Midlands today and here's how the rest of the day's looking:

If you want the latest forecast at any other time for your part of the West Midlands, head to the BBC Weather website.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Monday.

BBC Weather Watcher Morning Amble took this this morning in Ashton under Hill:

Image source, Morning Amble

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 , externaland Facebook, external.