Allen Cook
BBC News

Staffordshire University says it's "regrettable" that staff with the Unison trade union are striking today in a dispute over pensions.

The union claims a new pension scheme for lower grade workers is inferior and a "targeted and unfair attack", adding that 80% of members backed the strike today.

The university says about 500 of its support staff have been moved on to the new scheme as of 1 August, and describes it as "good quality".

It adds it hasn't made the changes lightly, calling if a "difficult decision" after consultation.

Birmingham City loan back Senegal international defender Cheikh Ndoye to French club Angers.

BBC Sport

Manager Scott Ruscoe insists The New Saints' Europa League third qualifying round tie against Midtjylland is not over.

Image source, PA

Midtjylland hold a 2-0 lead from the first leg in Cardiff with two first-half goals from Paul Onuachu securing the win.

Ruscoe described it as "not the worst result in the world" and has not given up on progressing.

The winners of the tie will face Malmo in the Europa League play-offs.

Alec Blackman
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas and four-time champion Chris Froome are to cycle through Warwickshire next month - as part of the Ovo Tour of Britain.

Image source, Getty Images

It's the first time the pair have taken part in the race since 2009.

The duo will cycle under the Team Sky banner, with the rest of the team expected to be announced at a later date.

You can see the race take place on the county's roads on the 5 September - though officially starts in Carmarthenshire, on Sunday 2 September..

Worcester News

Here are some of the top stories to feature online this morning:

• Live: A-level results day in Worcestershire 2018, external
• Mother blasts vandals for making poorly boy's life harder by damaging her car, external
• Operation Blade: Four suspected drug dealers arrested in Worcester, external

Stephanie Barnard
BBC News

"It just gets worse, external" - West Midlands Ambulance Service has tweeted photos of the damage to one of its vehicles which was broken into while crews attended to a 999 call in Stoke-on-Trent in the early hours of this morning.

Image source, Nicola Griffiths

Ambulance operations manager Steve Rust says a purse and keys belonging to the two paramedics was taken from the vehicle, as well as medical supplies.

The crew were attending a 999 call at flats on St Ann Street in Hanley at about 01:30 this morning, the ambulance service said - when they returned they found the window had been smashed and items stolen.

Nicola Beckford
BBC Midlands Today

Members of the Unison trade union at Staffordshire University will be taking strike action today in a row over pensions.

The university is introducing a new pension scheme for lower grade workers.

Image source, bbc

Previously they were part of the Local Government Pension Scheme.

The university is believed to have financial reasons for the new approach, but the union claims it's inferior and only aimed at the lowest paid workers.

Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Stoke City's new midfielder Sam Clucas says he wants to be completely injury-free before he plays for his new club.

Image source, Stoke City FC

The 27-year-old joined the Potters on transfer deadline day for about £6m, but is currently recovering from knee surgery.

A spate of caravan thefts across the West Midlands is being blamed on organised gangs.

Last year, the number of caravans stolen across the UK rose by 60% to 960 - 69 of those thefts were in this region.

The gangs have been breaking into secure storage areas to steal the vehicles.

BBC Shropshire

The restoration and redevelopment of a Grade I-listed mill is set to finish in three years' time, Historic England says.

The Ditherington Flax Mill in Shrewsbury was the first iron-framed building in the world and is considered the forerunner to the skyscraper.

Image source, English Heritage

Built in 1797, Historic England said the building would "change our city skies forever".

Work started in 2014 after the project was awarded a £12.8m lottery grant and £6.6m in European funding to convert it into offices and exhibition space.

Now, Historic England says it's pressing ahead with a deadline of 2021 in mind.

Stephanie Barnard
BBC News

An ambulance has been broken into in Stoke-on-Trent while attending a 999 call in the early hours of this morning.

A spokeswoman for Staffordshire Police said paramedics were attending to a woman in distress in the St Ann Street area in Hanley at 04:00 when the ambulance was broken into.

Image source, Google

When the crew got back to their vehicle they found the window had been smashed and several items stolen, including an oxygen canister, entonox canister, life support kits, as well as the crew's personal belongings.

Police say "nothing that is dangerous to the public was taken".

The commander of policing in Stoke-on-Trent North is appealing for information.

BBC Midlands Today

The maternity unit at Walsall Manor Hospital requires improvement, according to the independent health regulator.

The hospital trust was placed in special measures in 2016 and was rated inadequate following another inspection last year.

The latest report , externalsaid progress had been made in training and leadership, but inspectors were "not wholly assured the pace of change was sufficient to drive improvement in a timely way".

The midwife-led unit remains closed at the hospital, which inspectors said had increased the number of staff in the acute unit, but also reduced choice for women.

While there was praise for staff being caring and supportive, there was also criticism that there was no in-house service to counsel parents whose babies died.

Inspectors also noted the number of so-called never events - incidents so serious that they should never happen - increased from zero to two in the last year.

A West Midland police officer is due before magistrates later today charged with possession of indecent images of children.

Last night Insp Lee Bartram, who works for West Midlands Police in Birmingham city centre, was charged with five counts of making an indecent photograph of a child.

He also faces two counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child.

He is due to appear at Walsall Magistrates' Court later this morning.

The 44-year-old has been suspended by the force while proceedings are ongoing.

Sarah Robertson
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

Bosses at the Royal Stoke University Hospital have apologised to people caught in long queues trying to leave the site.

Image source, UHNM

The roadworks, which started on Monday, are around the A34 northern entrance to the hospital. , external

But BBC Radio Stoke's been contacted by several people who said they'd been caught in queues for about an hour trying to leave the hospital.

The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust has apologised, saying the works are essential but admitted visitors had "experienced significant delays".

Managers add that they've temporarily reopened the exit lane by the cancer centre and put on additional parking attendants - but they're warning there's still likely to be disruption at peak times.

Police have been granted more time to question a Birmingham man suspected of deliberately crashing a car into cyclists outside Parliament.

Yesterday Scotland Yard said the 29-year-old was being investigated for attempted murder as well as terror offences.

Image source, facebook

Salih Khater, a 29-year-old Briton born in Sudan, was arrested at the scene.

Police have been given permission to detain him until Monday.

Stephanie Barnard
BBC News

Good news - the Cross City line has reopened after a landslip and fallen trees blocked the line near University station.

Image source, Network Rail

The line from Birmingham New Street to Redditch and Bromsgrove shut Tuesday morning after trees fell, damaging overhead cables.

Commuters took to Twitter yesterday evening, complaining about three-hour journeys home.

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

A cloudy start this morning with rain in places. However, any lingering rain will move away through the morning, leaving sunny spells and the small chance of a shower.

A breezy cooler day - highs of 20C (68°F).

Stephanie Barnard
BBC News

Good morning.

I'll be bringing you all the latest news, sport, travel and weather for the West Midlands this Thursday between now and 19:00.

If you'd like to get in touch with the live team today, here's how to do it:

• Email
• Twitter, external
• Facebook, external

West Midlands Police officer Lee Bartram faces five charges of making an indecent photograph of a child.

Surrey and Birmingham Bears keep their T20 Blast quarter-final hopes alive by winning their penultimate group games.