BBC News Travel

Road closures have been put in place after a serious crash in Nuneaton, say police.

Nuthurst Lane is closed between the Ansley Road junction and Park Lane in the town.

The road is expected to be closed for some time, said Warwickshire Police.

Speaking yesterday in Parliament, North Warwickshire MP Craig Tracey encouraged the further roll-out of body-cameras among prison officers following "very positive results" among the police and other emergency services.

Image source, PA

In response, Prison Minister Rory Stewart said a camera "allows evidence to be gathered, allows the prosecution to happen and makes it less likely you're assaulted".

The Prisons Minister, Rory Stewart, has said it's "irresponsible" for the Prison Officers Association (POA) to encourage members to take part in illegal action.

Image source, @SnapperSK

Officers at HMP Birmingham (pictured), and HMP Hewell, in Worcestershire are taking part in a national protest, called this morning by their union, the POA.

It says their members are being subjected to continuing violence and ongoing safety concerns.

The government said it was deploying "contingency plans, but, by not turning up for work, these prison officers are putting their fellow staff and inmates at risk".

Worcestershire's Australian seamer Steve Magoffin retires from all forms of cricket at the age of 38.

Coventry Live

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

• Posties refuse to deliver to entire street after knife threat, external
• Breakthrough in riddle of mystery man found unconscious in street, external

• Three cats suffer horrific injuries after being shot, external

Prison staff in Birmingham and Worcestershire have joined others across England and Wales in protesting over violence and safety concerns.

The Prison Officers' Association has called for union members to protest outside their work from 07:00 on Friday until "instructed otherwise".

There was "unprecedented levels of violence" behind bars, the union said.

It comes after an inspection report on Thursday found inmates had effectively taken control at HMP Bedford.

More than a dozen staff looked to be protesting this morning at HMP Hewell in Tardebigge, near Redditch and the POA confirmed staff at HMP Birmingham were also taking action.

BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said industrial action by prison officers is illegal so the "walkout may not last long".

Officers investigating a crash in which an 18-year-old motorcyclist died, are appealing for a potential key witness to come forward. , external

Image source, West Midlands Police

Ellis Haarhoff died in hospital on Monday after his motorbike hit a tree in Wolverhampton Road, Quinton last Sunday, 9 September at about 23:45.

Officers are keen to speak to the driver of a white van, which is believed to have been in the area at the same time.

PC Mark Crozier, from West Midlands Police, said: "We are determined to find out exactly what occurred in the build up to the bike hitting the tree."

Worcester Warriors forward Cornell du Preez is to stay in hospital for a further four weeks to recover from a serious throat injury.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Worcestershire bowler Steve Magoffin's announced he's retiring from all cricket with immediate effect.

Image source, Getty Images

The 38-year-old rejoined the Pears for this season and has taken 16 wickets at 37.06 over the summer.

Worcestershire say Australia-born Magoffin, who became a UK citizen in 2016, is now looking to start a coaching career.

The club says he'll stay involved with the Pears to help develop their next generation of players.

An exhibition this weekend is celebrating 80 years since 10,000 people descended on Birmingham for a landmark pageant.

The event at Aston Hall in 1938 was to mark the 100 years of Birmingham's civic charter, leading it to being incorporated as a city.

This weekend an exhibition of costumes that were used in the historical reenactments go on display at Aston Parish Church.

Drivers are having to avoid a swan that's crash-landed on Coventry ring road.

Local builder Tony Wilson said he'd seen the bird "flying at an angle", but he "couldn't get the height" and hit the side of his van.

He said the police had been called to try and rescue the bird, close to junction two.

BBC Sport

Worcestershire will play in the T20 Blast finals for the first time tomorrow.

England all-rounder Moeen Ali, who will lead Worcestershire back on his old home ground, remains their star attraction.

Worcestershire CEO Matt Rawnsley is disappointed about the allocation of just 500 tickets for Saturday.

But he is nonetheless looking forward to the day, having arranged for the club's support staff to be there at Edgbaston too.

Oritse Williams, 31, allegedly raped a fan in a hotel room after a concert in 2016.

Express and Star

Here are some of the stories making the headlines on the Express & Star website this morning:

• Former JLS star Oritse Williams charged with rape over Wolverhampton hotel incident, external
• MPs in call for hospital boss to resign, external
• Drink driver jailed for crashing into wall with four children on board after swigging beer at the wheel, external

Officers were called to the Stechford area of Birmingham last night, to deal with two people believed to be victims of a shooting.

Image source, SnappperSK

West Midlands Police Force Response tweeted, external at about 23:00 that officers had been called to the incident.

Image source, SnappersSK

An area around Frodesley Road was cordoned off, according to witnesses.

A lawyer acting for two men jailed for the murder of two friends gunned down in a drive-by shooting has applied to have the anonymity of a key prosecution witness lifted.

Charlene Ellis, 18, and Letisha Shakespeare, 17, were shot in Aston, Birmingham, on 2 January 2003.

Image source, Other

Rodrigo Simms and Charlene's half-brother Marcus Ellis are both serving life sentences - but their lawyers will go to court to argue a crucial prosecution witness, a gang member who was granted life-long anonymity, lied during the original trial.

They launched an appeal in 2012 saying the anonymity of the witness had breached their right to a fair trial, but at the time the European Court of Human Rights said their rights had not been breached.

Now, solicitor Errol Robinson, representing Simms and Ellis, says not knowing the identity of the witness was a big disadvantage.

An application to lift the anonymity order is to go before the original trial judge, Mr Justice Goldring, at the Old Bailey on 21 September.

Birmingham City host West Bromwich Albion this evening, hoping to get their first win of the season.

The Blues will want to take three points against newly relegated Baggies, after losing two and drawing four of their last six games.

Their rivals have won three since the start of the season.

The St Andrew's fixture is a sell-out.

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has criticised the government's decision to introduce a badger cull in the county.

Image source, PA

Staffordshire was one of 11 new areas around the country announced by the government as being at high risk of Bovine TB, and the cull has already started.

The wildlife trust says a cull isn't the answer, as the spread of tuberculosis in cattle isn't explicitly linked to wildlife, and has called it "ineffective".

The government says the rate of TB in cattle has halved since the cull began, and it's been further extended into Cheshire after being introduced last year.

Former JLS member, Oritse Williams, who's been charged with rape, said at the time of his arrest, he denied the accusations and he would be stepping back from his charity work.

Image source, Getty Images

The 31-year-old from Croydon, London, was arrested on 2 December 2016, the morning after performing at the Gorgeous club in Wolverhampton.

A statement released at the time of his arrest, by 10 Worlds Music UK, which looked after Williams said: "All we wish to say at this time is that Oritse denies the allegations against him. The matter is in the hands of the police and it would be totally wrong for us to comment any further."

Shortly afterwards, the singer said he would be stepping back from his charity work, adding: "Unfortunately, the press speculation is likely to be unhelpful to the charities I work with and the decision I have taken is with their best interests in mind."

Former-JLS member, Oritse Williams, is due to appear in court next month charged with rape over an alleged attack on a fan in a hotel room after a concert.

The 31-year-old singer from Croydon, London, was arrested on 2 December 2016, the morning after performing at the Gorgeous club in Wolverhampton.

The singer enjoyed chart success with JLS after featuring on the X-Factor in 2008.

A second man, Jamien Nagadhana, 31, of Hounslow, London, has also been charged in connection with the incident.

Both are set to appear before magistrates on 11 October.