Rebecca Wood
BBC Midlands Today

It should be a dry night, with long clear spells and lows of 6C (43F).

All parking machines in Shrewsbury will be upgraded to take credit and debit cards in the future - including contactless payments, the leader of Shropshire Council has promised.

Councillor Peter Nutting said technology was important and he wanted to make it easier for people to pay.

Mr Nutting said the current parking review would result in "a revolution in the way parking happens".

Shropshire Council is reviewing some of its proposals, including price rises in Shrewsbury's Frankwell car park after complaints from residents and traders.

With pollen levels set to be very high across the West Midlands today, here are a few tips on how to manage hay fever.

Warwickshire pair Ian Bell and Dom Sibley share an unbroken 185-run stand to give the Bears a chance of beating Kent.

Hereford Times

Here are some of the headlines from the Hereford Times today:

• More EU nationals applying for NI numbers in Herefordshire since referendum, external
• Man takes charity tin from shop, external
• Dog rescue charity helped by daring Ledbury fundraiser, external

The employee was treated at the scene but died at Royal Stoke University Hospital.

The council-owned Southwater One building in Telford town centre is going to be lit up in England colours while Gareth Southgate's team are still in the tournament.

The red and white lights will be switched on at 21:00 every evening.

Image source, Telford and Wrekin Council

Kent face Warwickshire in the County Championship - listen to BBC local radio commentary.

Allen Cook
BBC News

A stretch of the M6 in Staffordshire's going to be shut tonight as work continues to prepare it to be turned into a smart motorway.

Image source, Google

Highways England's latest upgrade to the motorway involves a £335.4m project to improve the section between J13 (Stafford) and J15 (Stoke-on-Trent).

To get the stretch of the M6 prepared for work on the scheme to begin at the end of this month, they're working on changing the layout of the lanes and installing a barrier to protect their workers, external.

That means an overnight closure tonight between J13 and J14 northbound from 22:00, external - although a total closure from J12 to J15 all this weekend has been scrapped., external

BBC News UK

Birmingham may have been named as having the second fastest growing city centre, but the increased demand raises important questions about its future.

That's according to experts at the Centre for Cities, which says Birmingham's city centre population has increased by 163% (9,800 to 25,800 people) between 2002 and 2015.

Image source, Getty Images

They add that, over the next 10 years, the challenge will be meeting demand for housing without squeezing the commercial heart of the city centres.

If they are to continue attracting high-paying jobs, city centres might have to prioritise businesses.

You can read more of their analysis about the future of city centres here on the BBC website.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

The chief executive of the Rivers Multi-Academy Trust, which runs nine schools in Worcestershire, says she's concerned about lollipop men and women being replaced by zebra crossings.

Worcestershire County Council says it is replacing them as the light-controlled crossings are installed, while educating children in road safety.

But Kate Brunt said it "could put more children at risk on the roads".

Worcester’s crossing guards are paid £7.89 per hour and they work between five and 10 hours a week.

If all 15 guards who could be made redundant work 10 hours a week, it would save £46,000 for a 39-week school year.

Councillor Lucy Hodgson, cabinet member for communities, said the safety of children was "really important" and that the authority would consult before making the changes.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl Jackson

A "significantly run-down" junior school in Birmingham is to be demolished and rebuilt, councillors have agreed.

Image source, Department for Education

Reaside Academy in the Rubery area of Birmingham has become expensive to run and declared unfit for purpose by the government.

It will now be torn down and replaced by a new building on the same site off Tresco Close.

Birmingham city councillors approved the redevelopment plan, external, which is expected to take about 12 months.

More than 30 people had called 999 to report the blaze on Friday, West Midlands Fire Service said.

A Birmingham swimming pool has had to be drained after a break-in left broken glass in the way - and it will be closed until the clean-up is complete.

The Cocks Moors Woods leisure centre suffered the damage at the weekend and it says it will take the opportunity to carry out maintenance such as re-grouting while the pool is empty.

Image source, Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre

At the moment the leisure centre can't say when it will reopen.

Keith Paul died after being found lying in Lavender Road, Worcester, police say.

BBC Sport

The former Stafford Rangers coach Martin Prentice (below left) has joined AFC Telford United as their new first team coach, to work alongside manager Gavin Cowan.

He's also got experience working for Tamworth, Hucknall Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers Academy and joins just before the players return to training on 26 June.

Image source, AFC Telford United

The club has also announced today that striker Jordan Murphy has left the club.

A motorcyclist has died after a collision with a car in Shropshire this afternoon.

West Midlands Ambulance Service says it was called to a spot on the A495 near Welsh Frankton just after 13:00 and he was confirmed dead at the scene.

The driver of the car and a passenger suffered minor injuries and were discharged at the scene.

A string of events in Birmingham this evening and over the weekend are expected to pull in the crowds.

The fourth Birmingham Indian Film Festival 2018 starts tonight, there's also a big music and art festival in Digbeth.

Thirty thousand people are expected at the Foodies Festival in Cannon Hill Park, while the Birmingham International Dance Festival comes to an end with a huge party - a month after it launched with a morning rave.

Three men, one of them carrying a large knife, tried to rob a 37-year-old man as he walked along a canal towpath in Stoke-on-Trent last night, police said.

They approached him near Cromer Road at around 20:00 and demanded he open his pockets, but he was able to run off and escaped unhurt.

Image source, Google

Staffordshire police are hoping to speak to a man seen walking two dogs in the area just before the incident.

Allen Cook
BBC News

While the blaze may be under control in Saltley from what the fire service says, external, these photos taken by people across Birmingham show just how striking the plume of smoke has been:

Image source, @LicklePuma

Image source, @ddrMubarak

Image source, @ddrMubarak