Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Thursday.

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

Anthony Sargeant, 33, died six days after being shot in Birmingham, police say.

Andrew Craigie almost decapitated his mother's ex in a "frenzied" attack 12 years ago.

Worcester boss Alan Solomons says forward Cornell du Preez's fractured larynx against Wasps was a freak accident.

Kyle Abbott's hat-trick, backed by Dale Steyn, helps Hampshire close in on victory at Worcester on a day of 24 wickets.

The West Mercia officer, in his 20s, was stabbed in the chest by a man demanding the keys to his car.

Andy Giddings
BBC News

We'll be back with the latest news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 tomorrow.

Olly Stone takes 5-43 but Durham respond with 224-7 to Warwickshire's first-innings total of 310 at Edgbaston.

MAS Bazar Birmingham Ltd was fined £36,000 for breaching safety regulations.

Allen Cook
BBC News

A nightclub in Birmingham's going to be shut this weekend, following the death of a teenager who became unwell at the site.

The 19-year-old was taken ill at Lab 11 in Trent Street, Digbeth, Birmingham, early on Sunday.

Image source, Google

The ambulance service said it found on-site medical staff giving first aid but the man suffered a cardiac arrest and died at City Hospital.

West Midlands Police says it's investigating to establish the cause of death.

In a statement on Facebook, , externalthe club says it'll be shut this weekend so staff can reflect on what happened and review procedures to see if they can learn anything.

The 17-year-old went into cardiac arrest during a bid to detain him and was left needing CPR.

Two men and a woman bought replica pistols for about £150 and sold them for ten times that amount.

Phil Bowers
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

A man's in hospital with serious head injuries after being attacked in Stoke-on-Trent., external

Image source, Google

Police say the 34-year-old was found on Scotia Road, Tunstall, on Sunday morning and his current condition is stable.

Officers say two men, aged 51 and 54, were arrested on suspicion of assault causing actual bodily harm and a 36-year-old woman was arrested for failing to appear in court.

All three have been released under investigation.

Dudley News

The Dudley News has these headlines today:

• Dudley Council set to lose cash to combat extremism, external
• Bikers turn out for Ryan Passey charity ride, external
• Dudley's Terry narrowly avoids Great British Bake Off exit, external

A Worcestershire man who was jailed for running an illegal rubbish tip has been sentenced to an extra 22 weeks in prison after admitting another charge, but the sentence will run concurrently to the 26 months he is already serving.

The Environment Agency, which brought the charges, said John Bruce, who is 46 and from Throckmorton, was initially jailed for dumping, burying and burning hazardous waste at Ridgeway Park Farm, Throckmorton Airfield, Worcestershire.

Image source, Environment Agency

Yesterday, he pleaded guilty to another charge of operating the facility at Ridgeway Park Farm without an Environmental Permit at Worcester Crown Court.

The Environment Agency said Bruce had accepted more than 60 tonnes of redundant kitchen and bathroom materials on to his site and showed "a blatant disregard for the environment and local community".

Facebook

You've been sharing your thoughts on the building that is home to Birmingham's House of Fraser store.

With the retailer struggling and concerns for the future of the building - still known to many Brummies as Rackhams - Brutiful Birmingham are highlighting it as part of Birmingham Heritage Week.

On the BBC Midlands Facebook page, Beverley Capewell said, external: "I remember as a child they put Santa on sleigh and reindeer on the overhang. It was amazing, we travelled to see it every year."

While Louise Ford posted, external: "Always loved Rackhams. As a child, I always looked forward to the Christmas window displays....miss those days."

And Alison Monteith added, external: "My favourite building in the city; it just needs some TLC, it could be fabulous."

But Saul Faulkner wrote, external: "It's a ghastly monstrosity, most 50s, 60s and 70s architecture was utterly miserable."

Danny Shaw
BBC Home Affairs Correspondent

BBC News understands that two of G4S's most senior managers are leaving the company.

It follows a damning inspection of G4S-run Birmingham Prison.

Image source, Getty Images

It led the government to take over responsibility for the troubled jail for at least six months.

Peter Neden, chief executive of care and justice services, will depart next September. Sources said Mr Neden, who joined G4S 17 years ago and was at one stage Regional President for the UK and Ireland, wanted to pursue "other opportunities".

Jerry Petherick, who heads G4S's custody and detention division, will also leave next year.

Mr Petherick, a highly-respected figure who's worked in the prison sector for more than 30 years, is retiring. It's believed the decision had been discussed some time ago.

There has been no official statement from the company yet, although staff were informed of the departures this week.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
David Irwin

A mobile library service is going to be scrapped because a council says it's costing more than £100 per person who uses it.

Image source, Science Photo Library

Solihull Council's instead planning to spend the annual costs of around £32,000 on home library facilities, providing books to care homes and putting collections in community buildings.

Cllr Joe Tildesley, the cabinet member in charge of leisure, argued that the current contract is poor value for money and users had fallen 25% in seven years, to 243 last year.

Opposition councillors asked for assurances that the changes wouldn't see people “fall through the net”.

In response, Cllr Tildesley agreed to get an update on the new system in a year's time.

Phil McCann
Cheshire Political Reporter, BBC News

Controversial plans for a gypsy and traveller site in Cheshire are having to go back to the drawing board, because the local authority's taken too long to build it.

Image source, Google

Cheshire East Council awarded itself planning permission for a transit site in Middlewich in 2015, but it's now expired.

The council says the delay is down to dilapidated buildings on the site which need to be demolished.

It says it will now knock the buildings down before "considering further options" for the site.

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

It looks like the sunshine is here to stay for the rest of Wednesday, here's your West Midlands weather forecast for tonight and tomorrow:

You can stay up-to-date on the latest forecast for your part of the region at any other time, just head to the BBC Weather website.