Stoke-on-Trent Live

From Stoke-on-Trent Live:

• Search for missing midwife enters eighth day as ex-fiancé appeals for safe return, external
• Man fed up with stones being thrown at home pointed 'gun' at two terrified children, external
• Afobe criticises 'disrespectful' way he was shipped out to Stoke City by Wolves, external

Long-serving West Bromwich Albion midfielder James Morrison signs a new one-year contract with the Championship club.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
David Irwin

More than 160 new flats will be built on the site of one of Coventry’s best-known businesses after a multi million-pound development was given the green light by city planners.

Image source, Rainer Developments

Plans to demolish the Elliotts Car Accessories premises and erect two multi-storey blocks, at the junction of Gulson Road and London Road, were approved by the city council’s planning committee.

The pair of buildings will provide 167 homes, with retail and/or cafe use on part of the ground floor.

A report presented to councillors had argued that the £20m "city living” complex would breathe new life into a brownfield site in a prominent location, but Historic England raised concerns about the scale of the development given the proximity of the Grade I-listed Whitefriars building.

Smaller football clubs are struggling to get their pitches ready for the new season after the recent heatwave.

Redditch Borough Council has spoken to local football clubs saying "safety must come first" and advised them to delay the start of the season.

Tom Henman, from Redditch United, said it previously has only had to cancel one match in 18 months and has a 3G artificial surface.

He accepted a lot of other local clubs were suffering and said they had "fixture swapped" so games that would have been cancelled can now go ahead.

Coventry Live

From Coventry Live:

• This is how Coventry is honouring Thai cave hero Rick Stanton, external
• Legionnaires' disease confirmed at popular Nuneaton club, external

• Why this tenant says he's being forced to wash in a bucket in his garden, external

A woman and teenage boy have been charged with attempted murder over the stabbing of two men in Birmingham.

The wounded men, aged 21 and 61, were found at a house on Kitlands Road in the Shard End area of the city on Wednesday.

They remain in a serious but stable condition in hospital, says West Midlands Police., external

A 36-year-old woman is accused along with a 14-year-old boy who faces additional charges of aggravated burglary, wounding with intent and possession of an offensive weapon.

Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Port Vale manager Neil Aspin says he's chosen his starting XI and system for tomorrow's opening game against Cambridge United.

Image source, Port Vale FC

Twelve new players have arrived at Vale Park this summer and about half of them are due to start this weekend when they kick off in League Two.

The sister of missing midwife Samantha Eastwood is set to appeal later for help in tracing her.

Image source, Facebook

Ms Eastwood was last seen leaving work at Royal Stoke Hospital a week ago.

Gemma Eastwood is due to read a statement at Staffordshire Police headquarters at 10:30.

Express and Star

From the Express and Star:

• Teenage car key robber stabbed mother 10 times, external
• Midland Metro extension £33m over budget, external
• Council solicitor and director face misconduct probe, external

A man who admitted killing his mother after a "milky tea row" is set to be sentenced today.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Susan Westwood, 68, was found with stab wounds in Cavendish Road, Tile Hill, Coventry, on 1 December 2017.

Thomas Westwood, 46, of Rosemary Close, Tile Hill, admitted manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility.

On his arrest, police said he claimed to have argued with his mother after making her tea that was "not milky enough", and that she was bullying him.

Westwood is set to be sentenced at Leamington Spa Justice Centre.

A former Coventry firefighter who helped rescue 12 boys from a cave in Thailand is to be honoured by his home city.

Image source, Getty Images

Diver Richard Stanton made global headlines when he discovered the boys stranded in the flooded Tham Luang caves.

Coventry City Council said he would receive civic honour, the Coventry Award of Merit, in addition to a Good Citizen Award.

Council leader George Duggins said: "He is an inspirational figure in the city and we hope that these honours will show how valued he is as a citizen of Coventry".

BBC Midlands Today

The number of burglaries across Herefordshire and Worcestershire has risen by 35% over the past five years, says West Mercia Police.

According to the force, there were almost 2,000 break-ins in the two counties between April last year and March this year.

Tackling domestic burglaries remains a priority, it says.

Clubs are struggling to get their grounds ready, with one council advising teams to delay the season.

Colleagues of a missing Staffordshire midwife say they're doing all they can to help police locate her.

Samantha Eastwood, 28, was last seen leaving Royal Stoke University Hospital last Friday and did not return later for her night shift.

Liz Rix, chief nurse at the trust which runs the site, said: "The way her colleagues talk about Sam, it's clear that she is an absolutely dedicated and committed midwife.

"We do call ourselves a family and one of our family is missing.

"We want to see Sam back where she belongs, working with the team that absolutely loves her."

Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen says there's no escaping the pressure they're under to win promotion this season.

Image source, PA

The Potters are among the favourites to take the title in the Championship after being relegated from the Premier League.

Stoke will start their campaign on Sunday when they travel to Leeds United.

Sara Blizzard
BBC Weather

Any early mist or low cloud will clear to leave a dry day with sunny spells and highs of 26C (79F).

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Friday.

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, external and Facebook, external.

Durham win a fifth T20 Blast match in a row and go top of the North Group as Kent, Notts, Sussex and Birmingham also win.

Shrewsbury sign Peterborough midfielder Anthony Grant for an undisclosed fee on a one-year deal.

Ashley Williams is set for a medical at Stoke City before a season-long loan move from Everton.