Allen Cook
BBC News

Twenty former Poundworld stores are going to be taken over by the West Midlands-based retailer Poundland.

Image source, Poundland

The discount chain went into administration in June after struggling with tough competition on the High Street.

All its stores closed by 10 August and, in total, the collapse of the chain resulted in the loss of 5,100 jobs.

Poundland, which has its head office in Willenhall, says the move will create 400 jobs in locations including Edinburgh and Ayr., external

Birmingham Live

These are some of today's headlining stories on the Birmingham Live website:

• Terrorist buys 'last supper' of fish and chips, external hours before killing
• Cycling commuters becoming a 'menace' to pedestrians, external
• Burglars who stole Mercedes and BMW in five-day crimewave are jailed, external

BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

A sculpture made from hula hoops has gone on display at Coventry Cathedral.

It is hosting the fifth edition of the Festival of Imagineers until 22 September., external

Organisers say more than 1,000 hoops have been connected together, creating a sculpture over four double-decker buses high.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
George Makin

Sandwell Children’s Trust is paying its social workers up to £3,000 on top of their normal salaries in order to hold on to experienced staff.

The trust revealed its pay hike as cabinet members met on Wednesday to discuss Ofsted’s latest findings since the trust took over the looked after children service in April.

The government watchdog said the instability of staff was one of the "long-standing barriers to improvement" in a letter following a monitoring visit in May.

The trust said it had seen an increase in applications to become permanent staff with three out of four social workers now permanently employed.

Two Worcester Warriors players Ben Te'o and Nick Schonert have been named in the England training squad for a three-day training camp starting on Sunday in Bristol.

Centre Teo (pictured), who has yet to play for Worcester this season, has been named in the squad of 36 players.

Image source, Getty Images

Uncapped Nick Schonert, who had to pull out of England's end-of-season tour to Argentina in 2017 with a hand injury, then just missed out on the tour to South Africa this summer, is also back in favour.

Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC WM

New processes for rubbish collection in Birmingham, "will be a success", said Unite the union, despite some workers describing them as a "shambles".

The city council was forced to do a deal with the union after a High Court case last year, and since then it has missed two deadlines for bringing in a new rota and working practices that all sides are happy with.

Image source, Getty Images

The delays meant the cash-strapped council has been spending an extra £300,000 a month on overtime.

On Monday, it confirmed a new system had started this week with the council saying there will inevitably be a "transition period".

Howard Beckett, from Unite said union reps would meet with the city council today, but added there was a "sea change" at the local authority, and a "determination to get this right".

"I'm confident that the new processes will be implemented and will be a success," he said.

The rain expected to sweep in through Wales could be bad news for people in north Shropshire.

Up to 100mm of rain is expected in some areas across the border, raising levels on the rivers Severn and Vyrnwy.

Dave Thoup,from the Environment Agency, said luckily river levels were currently low, after the summer's heatwave, but there could still be some minor flooding.

Image source, Environment Agency

Stoke-on-Trent Live

The Stoke-on-Trent Live website is covering these stories today:

• Boy repeatedly stabbed in Stoke-on-Trent street, external
• Louts brawled in pub as woman was hit by flying glass, external
• Dangerous driver's car caught fire after going over speed humps at 50mph, external

BBC Sport

Worcestershire could be relegated from the County Championship's Division One today, unless they pull something extraordinary out of the bag.

The Pears head into day three on 140-4 in their second innings, still 240 behind Essex's first innings total.

If they lose or the game is drawn, Worcestershire will be down.

Image source, ALLSPORT/Getty Images

While in Division Two, Warwickshire will be looking to try and bowl Sussex out quickly today as they push to confirm their promotion.

The Bears scored 440 in their first innings but, after being 14-3, their hosts recovered by the close to 224-5.

You can stay up-to-date with both games via BBC local radio commentary or by using the BBC Cricket website.

BBC News Travel

There are delays building on the M5 this morning in Worcestershire due to a crash and a vehicle on fire.

Highways England says three lanes are shut on the northbound side at J5, near Droitwich, and the outside lane is closed southbound., external

Image source, Highways England

Coventry's two-day MotoFest event was worth an estimated £10m to the city, according to organisers.

Data on hotel occupancy rates, footfall and average visitor spend were all used to gauge the economic impact of the festival.

The numbers revealed a 35% uplift in spend to city centre businesses during the two days of the event in June, with 136,000 people recorded in the city over the two days.

This year's festival hosted the first competitive motorsports held on a city centre circuit for almost 30 years.

A man found in a Coventry street with serious stab wounds this morning is in a critical condition, police say.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Officers were called to reports of disorder on Victoria Street, in the Hillfields area of the city at about 02:30, said West Midlands Police.

The 56-year-old remains in hospital after being treated for multiple injuries, said the ambulance service.

An area around Victoria Street and part of Canterbury Street remains cordoned-off for forensic examinations.

Sophie Calvert
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

Charges to collect garden waste from people in Newcastle-under-Lyme are be introduced after the idea was backed by councillors.

Image source, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council

The borough council says a new recycling system, including a £36-a-year fee for picking up garden waste, will go ahead after it was agreed on at its meeting on Wednesday.

The current system is said to be overspent by £300,000.

The council says people would have to opt-into the service but it's yet to iron out the finer details, such as whether people would get new bins.

BBC Midlands Today

The Home Office says it's looking into the case of a woman who's been denied entry into the UK to be with her seriously ill granddaughter.

Talia Tallouzi from Birmingham has had several major operations since her birth in March.

Her grandmother, Khadija Hamidi, who's living in Palestine, has been refused a UK visitor visa three times.

The government says she must provide proof she can fund her six-month stay.

While the West Midlands is expected to miss the worst of the rainfall, some parts of the region could see up to 50mm of rain between 18:00 and midnight.

The Environment Agency said localised flooding was "probable", external.

Image source, Environment Agency

Express and Star

These are some of the headlining stories on the Express and Star website this morning:

• Trees down as high winds hit region, external
• Upgrade needed as Compton Care hit by poor report, external
• Thieves leave message after ransacking charity shop for the blind, external

A nine-year-old boy dialled 999 to report that a boy was "making fun out of me" while playing on a Playstation PS4, West Midlands Police tweeted., external

Image source, West Midlands Police

The boy rang to say the alleged bullying was taking place by a year five pupil.

The force's control room staff said it had "no issue" with children dialling 999 for genuine reasons, but urged parents to teach "correct use" of the emergency service.

"some of the best calls I've ever taken have been from young children", it tweeted, external,

"We are here to help when they really need us," it said, "Not for Playstations".

Two tower blocks in Rugby, housing more than 100 people, are to be demolished because of fire safety concerns.

In April, 155 people who live in the flats in Biart Place, Rugby,were told to leave by the council after a survey queried fire resistance capability.

Image source, Google

The tower blocks are "beyond economic repair", said the borough council, with repairs expected to cost £20m, compared with a replacement cost of about £23m.

Further structural surveys are also to be carried out to blocks at Rounds Gardens which, a report says, are of better construction than those at Biart Place.

The council will be approaching the government "for their support to mitigate this impact," said council leader Michael Stokes.

BBC Sport

The Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen's admitted he hasn't had a great start to the season with the club.

Image source, Getty Images

He scored the goal to win the midweek game against his former club Swansea City.

But Stoke, under new boss Gary Rowett, are 14th in the Championship, while Allen admits his own form has been below par.

BBC Business News

Aston Martin Lagonda has announced, external a price range for its planned share sale.

The Warwickshire-based firm is planning to float part of the business on the London Stock Exchange.

Image source, Getty Images

Shares will be priced between £17.50 and £22.50, which would give the company a value of up to £5bn.

The Warwickshire-based company also said that Germany's Daimler will remain a shareholder, with a near 5% stake.

The final price will be announced on 3 October, when trading will start.