Live updates from Monday 13 August to Sunday 19 August
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Stephanie Barnard
BBC News
Good morning from the BBC newsroom.
I'll be bringing you all the latest news, sport, travel and weather for the West Midlands this Friday between now and 19:00.
If you'd like to get in touch with the live team today, here's how to do it:
Banned governor Tahir Alam says the cases were a "total waste of public money".
Read MoreA car and van crashed in Draycott in the Clay, Staffordshire at about 12:45 BST.
Read MoreWe'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 tomorrow, but keep an eye out here for more updates before then.
Rob Mayor
Political reporter, BBC WM
"Fantastic news" is how the chief executive of the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust sums up this announcement, and it really couldn’t come soon enough.
Since work stopped dead in January, the building has been open to the elements, including that very harsh winter, and the first job is to find a contractor to repair the damage.
It’s only then that building work can properly start again, with the aim of opening in 2022, four years later than originally planned.
Time is of the essence, as some services at the current Sandwell and City Hospitals are still operating in Victorian buildings, and may need to be reorganised in the meantime to cope with increasing demand.
Lucie Plant
BBC Hereford and Worcester
A man has described how his caravan was stolen just weeks before he was due to go on holiday.
Last year, the number of caravans stolen across the UK increased by 60% to 960, with criminal gangs blamed for the rise.
James Hicks's £17,000 caravan was stolen from a storage site in Redditch - two years before he had finished paying it off.
Caravan stolen from Redditch weeks before holiday
BBC WM
The chairman of Birmingham Central Mosque is raising concerns about increasing levels of Islamphobia in the city.
Last night, West Midlands Police sent armed officers to two mosques in the city after windows were shot with ball bearing catapults.
Quote MessageWe are dealing with unprecedented levels of Islamophobia against the Muslim community, particularly affecting our most vulnerable among us including women - because they are visible through their dresses and hijab. I would ask you to be cautious of proportioning blame to the Muslim community."
Nasser Mahmooh, Chairman, Birmingham Central Mosque
Allen Cook
BBC News
People are still trying to walk through the site of a huge fire, external in the Staffordshire Moorlands despite it being "extremely dangerous", the fire service says.
Image source, Staffordshire Fire ServiceSince last Thursday, fire crews have been battling the blaze at The Roaches, in Upper Hulme, which at its height covered about 200 acres of land., external
Roads in the area have been shut and climbers and hikers urged to stay away, but the fire service says it's found several people still trying to walk in the area.
As far as the fire itself is concerned, firefighters say they aren't scaling back their efforts yet but hope to do so "in the next day or so".
The Malvern Gazette's covering these stories today:
BBC Shropshire
Plans have been announced for a special floodlit T20 match in Shropshire with the aim of showcasing Under-19 cricket in the county., external
Image source, GoogleCricket Shropshire says it'll be at Oswestry cricket club at the end of the month and will feature two teams from Shropshire's junior leagues.
The group says it's part of an initiative to halt the drop-off in the number of players when they reach the age of 15.
Port Vale sign Wales Under-19 international defender Mitchell Clark on loan from Championship side Aston Villa.
Read MoreA mobile ward with six beds has been installed at a hospital due to rising demand this summer and ahead of winter., external
Image source, Wye Valley NHS TrustThe Wye Valley NHS Trust says the move at Hereford County Hospital is due to "unprecedented pressure" on services in the past few months.
It says the emergency department has seen an extra 10-20 patients a day this summer.
Added to that, the trust says A&E saw about 190 patients-a-week in 2016, 225-a-week in 2017 and, so far this year, the figure stands at 250-a-week.
Lucy McNamara
BBC Radio Stoke
A young boy's died in a crash between a car and a van. , external
The collision happened this afternoon on Uttoxeter Road in Draycott in the Moors, near Uttoxeter, the ambulance service said.
It said the boy, a passenger in the car, was in cardiac arrest when crews arrived. He was taken to hospital where he died.
Another boy in the car was airlifted to hospital. The car's driver, a woman in her 20s, sustained multiple injuries.
The driver of the van, a man in his 40s, had leg, hip and arm pain.
The draw for the second round of the League Cup sees Premier League Wolves joining the competition.
It takes place tonight at 19:00, external and the club's former boss Mick McCarthy will be pulling the teams out the pot with Chris Waddle.
The numbers to look out for our local clubs are:
The second-round ties will be played on the week of Monday the 27 August.
Gavin Kermack
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester
Image source, Wyre Forest District CouncilA children's play area in Worcestershire has been set alight in a suspected act of arson. , external
Wyre Forest District Council says rubber safety matting at Brinton Park in Kidderminster was set on fire last night.
Firefighters put the fire out and the area has now reopened, but the authority says some equipment was destroyed.
Image source, Wyre Forest District Council
Trevor Owens
Sports Editor, BBC Hereford & Worcester
Worcestershire Rapids' head coach Kevin Sharp says they will be trying to beat Birmingham Bears in their last T20 Blast game, despite having already made the quarter-finals.
Image source, ALLSPORT/Getty ImagesWorcestershire are third in the north group and can't be pushed out of the top four when the last round of games happen tomorrow.
But if they beat the Birmingham Bears, not only will they deny their opponents a place in the quarter-finals, it could secure a home-tie for the Rapids.
Quote MessageThe bottom line is it's always a big night there and where we are in the league won't really make any difference, we won't be thinking about that, we'll just go out and do our best to beat them."
Kevin Sharp, Worcestershire Rapids' head coach
Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today
Tonight will be dry with some lengthy clear periods and just a few patches of cloud.
A cooler night than last night - lows of 11°C (52°F).
Latest weather forecast for the West Midlands
Stoke-on-Trent Live
The Stoke-on-Trent Live website is covering these stories today:
The crew was attending a 999 call in Stoke-on-Trent when the ambulance's window was smashed.
Read MoreAllen Cook
BBC News
It's going to be built in Perry Barr, on the site of a former Birmingham City University campus which dates back to the 1970s.
Image source, Birmingham City CouncilThe village is set to be home to 6,500 athletes and officials when they come for the games and, after the event, the council says they will provide 1,400 new homes.
The plans have now been submitted to the authority's planning department with a decision due after 13 September.
Image source, Birmingham City Council