Allen Cook
BBC News

A lion's recovering after being attacked by a group of lionesses at West Midlands Safari Park in a dispute over meat, the park says.

In footage featured in several newspapers today, reportedly taken by a visitor, , externalthe females are seen fighting with the single male until keepers use fire extinguishers to split them up.

Image source, West Midlands Safari Park

Hundreds of people took to social media to check the lion was ok after the ordeal.

This morning, the park, at Bewdley in Worcestershire, says the lion, called Jilani, hasn't suffered any serious injuries and is now resting with his two brothers away from the lionesses., external

They add that the male lions were slowly introduced to the females last year so their pride is "still settling in" but add that fights like this "are very common in the wild".

Birmingham Live

These are some of the headlines on the Birmingham Live website today:

• Four police officers injured in just 24 hours of shocking violence, external
• Vicious lioness mob attack male at safari park, external
• Driver paid man £300 - so he could dodge £100 speeding fine, external

Cash and cigarettes have been stolen from a Warwickshire pub by two men wielding a blade, police said.

Two men threatened the occupant of the pub on Southam Road, Long Itchington, demanding money.

Increased patrols are being carried out in the area after the incident last week, said Warwickshire Police., external

Allen Cook
BBC News

An investigation in Shropshire into the suspected smuggling of a gun started with the discovery of a parcel in the USA, police say. , external

Armed police helped arrest a 21-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman at a house on Oswald Road, Oswestry, yesterday, on suspicion of firearms offences.

Image source, Google

Today, West Mercia Police says officers carried out the operation after being tipped off by two US agencies.

They say Homeland Security and the US Postal Service examined a parcel in Newark, New Jersey, and found a concealed firearm and ammunition.

The force says the USA authorities then arranged with police here for it to be delivered to the address in Shropshire.

BBC Entertainment and Arts

Stoke-on-Trent-born singer Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda Field have announced they have become parents through a surrogate.

Image source, Getty Images

Field, who is a judge on The X Factor alongside her husband, posted a photo of the family's hands on Instagram, external.

She wrote: "We are delighted to share with you that we have had a baby girl... welcome to the world Colette (Coco) Josephine Williams!!

"It has been a very long and difficult path to get here, which is why we have kept it on the down low."

Robbie and Ayda are already parents to sons, Teddy, five and Charlton, three.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Warwickshire will be looking for quick runs this morning to try and get a result from their rain-affected County Championship game with Durham.

The Bears were 28-1 in their second innings yesterday, leading by 46 runs, when the weather intervened at Edgbaston.

You can follow the last day's play on BBC local radio commentary or via the BBC Cricket website.

BBC Radio 5 live

BBC 5 Live has discovered that links to online gambling firms have been placed in junior sections of the websites of 15 football clubs - including Wolverhampton Wanderers, Stoke City and Aston Villa.

Image source, Getty Images

Kieran Maguire, an finance and accountancy expert at the University of Liverpool, tells Wake Up to Money: "I think it is fairly sloppy by the clubs and the press release from the Football League just shows that they've not really kept their eye on the ball with respect to this particular issue.

"The big problem from the clubs' point of view is, especially in the Championship, is the losses the clubs are making are so huge they will take money from gambling organisations without too much of a second thought."

Plans to expand the Accident and Emergency unit at Walsall Manor Hospital could allow it to care for an extra 8,000 patents a year, the trust says.

Speaking in Parliament, Prime Minister Theresa May said a decision on the £36.2m funding bid would be made by the autumn.

The current emergency department is "not fit for purpose", hospital trust chief executive Richard Beeken said.

Walsall Healthcare Trust said the A&E had seen "a significant increase in the number of patients through its doors due to changes at neighbouring trusts" and was currently too small.

Coventry Live

Some of the headlining stories on the Coventry Live website today are:

• Two hospitalised after Nuneaton crash, external
• Traveller encampment invades land near to nursing home, external

• Landmarks set to mark Heritage Open Days, external

A council says sorry for not telling villagers "in a timely manner" about the need to cut trees.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Two car parks are going to shut in Worcesterhire from Monday for several days so they can be repaired., external

Image source, Google

Wychavon District Council says the Chapel Street car park in Evesham needs extensive resurfacing at a cost of nearly £40,000.

It says it could take until around the end of the week before it reopens.

Repairs to a short-stay car park at Pershore Hospital are expected to take about three days, and cost just over £11,000.

The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire has been shortlisted in the prestigious Times Higher Education Awards., external

The new £57m music college has been recognised for its "excellence and Innovation" in the arts.

The Conservatoire's new building was opened by the Queen last September.

Staff and students at the music college will find out if they've won in November.

People will be given a chance later this month to see plans for a new medical centre., external

Image source, Staffordshire County Council

Under the proposals, Staffordshire County Council says the new Darwin Medical Practice in Burntwood would have 13 consulting rooms and five treatment rooms.

It would be built on the former Greenwood House Nursing Home on Lichfield Road.

The council's putting the proposals on show at the Burntwood Memorial Institute on 18 September.

Officials from the London Assembly arrive in the region today to step up efforts to tackle gang violence.

A task force is being convened, and will meet senior officers from West Midlands Police, along with the Police and Crime Commissioner and the author of a recent report on gangs.

They are particularly interested in hearing more about a West Midlands scheme which educates young people about the dangers of carrying a knife.

Andrew Hewkin
Newsreader, BBC Shropshire

A rare jumping spider has been discovered living in part of Shropshire., external

Image source, Stephen Barlow

The bog-dwelling Sitticus floricola has been spotted at Fenn's, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses National Nature Reserve, near Whixall and Ellesmere.

Experts from Natural England say the reason they have been able to thrive in the area is because of the natural water table of the bog habitat.

Express and Star

Here are some of the early headlines on the Express and Star website this morning:

• Mobile phones examined over fatal shooting of Dwaine Haughton, external
• Emma Reynolds: Shortfall of prison officers will plunge jails deeper into crisis, external
• Work ready for new Aldi near Wolverhampton's old Low Level Station, external

A sculpture of a chair made out of bricks has been unveiled in a park , external- almost 20 years after it was first donated.

Image source, Friends of Hednesford Park

Cannock Chase Council says it's been installed at Hednesford Park but hasn't revealed why it took so long to unveil.

The sculpture was made by Rosemary Cripps in 1999 and she says she's "delighted" to see the brick chair sculpture in a public area.

Sophie Calvert
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

Three political leaders from Stoke-on-Trent City Council have agreed to write to the government about welfare reforms.

The letter, the council says, will raise concerns about the impact Universal Credit and other benefit changes are having on households in the city.

They'll also be asking the government to consider these issues in the funding review.

In response the Department for Work and pensions has told BBC Radio Stoke it was spending around "£90bn a year supporting people who need it, including those on a low income".

"Our reforms incentivise work," it said, "which is the best way to help improve lives, and we've had record rates of employment."

Thousands are expected in Ludlow this weekend for the annual food festival.

More than 20,000 visitors travel yearly to the market town in Shropshire for the event, now in it's 24th year.

Set in the ruins of the medieval castle and throughout the town, the event includes tastings, talks and demonstrations.

Nicola Goodwin
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

Thousands of tonnes of earth is going to be moved at a nature reserve as part of a £300,000 scheme to create one of the largest areas of reed beds in the region.

Image source, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust

The two months of digging work by Herefordshire Wildlife Trust will create shallows, pools and ditches at Bodenham Lake, near Leominster,, external for amphibians, young fish and invertebrates.