A lawyer acting for two men jailed for murdering teenage friends in a shooting will appear in court today after applying to have the anonymity of a key witness lifted amid "new evidence".

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

Marcus Ellis and Rodrigo Simms were convicted with two others following a trial which included testimony from a man whose identity remained a secret.

The pair's lawyer said that left the defence unable to test its veracity.

Errol Robinson, whose application is to go before original trial judge Mr Justice Goldring in London, says there are "grave doubts" over the witness's account.

Vicky Norton
BBC Radio Stoke

Drivers are being warned a complete closure of the M6 in Staffordshire this weekend could last for 24 hours.

Image source, Google

Highways England is demolishing the Creswell Home Farm bridge just north of J14, near Stafford. , external

It's removing it because the crossing isn't used and is too narrow for when the road is upgraded to a "smart motorway".

It says it will shut the M6 between J14 and J15 from 20:00 on Saturday and reopen the motorway "as soon as work allows".

The plans are for the demolition to be done within 12 hours but the agency warns it could take up to 24.

A yellow warning for wind remains in place across the West Midlands until 09:00, which could disrupt travel, the Met Office is warning.

Western Power Distribution said a "relatively small number" of customers had been affected by the high winds overnight, with fewer than 200 customers currently affected by power cuts in the region.

Motorists are being warning to watch for fallen trees and debris on the roads during the morning rush hour.

A further weather warning is in place from 23:00 on Sunday until 09:00 Monday.

A search of the River Severn in Worcester will resume this morning, for missing student Thomas Jones.

The 18-year-old was last seen in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

West Mercia Police said the teenager's disappearance was out of character.

Mr Jones, from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, was due to begin his studies at the University of Worcester.

BBC News Travel

Heavy flooding is causing disruption to rail services around Rugeley this morning.

A bus replacement service is running between Rugeley Trent Valley and Walsall in both directions.

Services are running as normal between Walsall and Birmingham New Street.

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

After a blustery morning with the chance of showers, it will be a wet and windy day with some clear and bright spells and highs of 15C (59F).

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Friday.

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.

We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 on Friday, but keep an eye out here for more updates before then.

Thomas Jones's parents have been at a riverbank where he was last seen in the early hours of Wednesday.

Buildings in Evesham are going to be lit up later this year as part of a scheme aimed at bringing in more visitors., external

Image source, Google

Wychavon District Council says the Enlighten project will start off illuminating places including the bell tower, the war memorial in Abbey Park and the Almonry Museum.

The £112,000 budget's come from councils and the Bell Tower Appeal and will see the war memorial lights switched on on 11 November.

Shropshire Live

The Shropshire Live website is covering these stories today:

• Children’s centre services set to be delivered from seven new family hubs, external
• Crack cocaine and heroin seized by police in Shrewsbury, external
• Missing Telford teenager found safe and well, external

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl Jackson

Birmingham could be ground to a halt by a taxi go-slow protest due to a new crackdown on licence breaches, a council meeting has heard.

On Wednesday, the city council approved a new penalty point system to punish infringements including smoking in vehicles, using mobiles phones while driving and even an "unsatisfactory" appearance.

But concerns were raised it could be the "final nail in the coffin" for drivers licensed in Birmingham who are already having to compete with others operating in the city who have been licensed by neighbouring councils.

A similar scheme introduced in Leicester prompted Hackney Carriage drivers to hold "go-slow" demonstrations around the city.

However council chiefs said standards needed to be upheld in Birmingham for the sake of public safety.

Ben Russell
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

Coventry City Council is having to block entry to the main Broadgate square with a van, as the automated bollards have been out of action since July.

The council has confirmed it has so far spent more than £1,000 on the hire van, which is parked on the Trinity Street side of the square.

Opposition Conservative councillor Tim Mayor said parking the van there was a symbol of "delusion and confusion" as it only blocks one side of the square.

The council said it was looking to replace the bollards "with something more specialist and robust to ensure people in the city are properly protected".

Allen Cook
BBC News

A man's died after his car came off a motorway and crashed into a tree., external

Image source, Google

The ambulance service said it found him in cardiac arrest when crews arrived this morning on the M45 near Rugby, Warwickshire.

A spokesperson said the car was badly damaged and the man died at the scene.

Vicky Breakwell
BBC Hereford and Worcester

Hereford FC's new Head of Football says the club's had some "very high-profile names" show their interest in becoming the new manager.

Image source, Getty Images

Earlier this month, they sacked boss Peter Beadle after four years in the role and with the club then 12th in National League North, English football's sixth tier.

Yesterday, the club confirmed Tim Harris as their first Head of Football., external

A man has been reliving the moment he saw an out-of-control bus career towards a crowd of people on the pavement.

CCTV shows the moment Teil Portlock directs people away from its path in 2015.

He said the bus crash in which two people were killed was the worst day of his life.

A trial of facts on Tuesday found driver Kailash Chander was driving dangerously when he caused the deaths of seven-year-old passenger Rowan Fitzgerald and 76-year-old pedestrian Dora Hancox.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Part of the A500 had to be shut in Staffordshire after a car left the road in heavy rain, external this afternoon.

Central Motorway Police Group said the driver wasn't hurt, external.

Image source, CMPG

Meanwhile, the rain's causing flooding elsewhere in Stoke-on-Trent, with West Midlands Railway saying the city's railway station has had to close one of its exits., external

Staffordshire University tweets that heavy rain's caused minor flooding on some of its car parks on Leek Road in Stoke-on-Trent., external

Coventry Observer

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

• Family kept two vulnerable women locked up as slaves, external
• Coventry Cross move now sparks fears parts of monument could be lost, external
• Larkin and the tomb mystery unearthed, external

Image source, Coventry Observer

Thomas Jones went missing during Freshers Week and has not been seen since Wednesday.

Warwickshire openers Will Rhodes and Dom Sibley put on 140 for the first wicket to bat Sussex out of the Division Two game at Hove.