Vicky Breakwell
BBC Hereford and Worcester

Two people have died after a motorbike's thought to have hit a pedestrian in Herefordshire last night., external

Image source, Google

Police say it happened on the A40 just after 20:00, between the turning for Whitchurch and the services at Symonds Yat.

Officers say a man in his 20s, who was riding a red Yamaha, died at the scene, along with a man in his 30s, who was found a short distance away., external

They are calling for witnesses to come forward.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

The Stoke-on-Trent Live website features these stories today:

• Jail for man who jumped on roof during police siege and shouted: 'I'm on monkey dust!', external
• Nightmare tenant evicted after turning flat into monkey dust den, external
• Drugged-up man dragged terrified ex into alley before cutting off her hair with a knife, external

Pallets and dead branches have been removed from a waterway in Worcestershire to try and stop it flooding in the future.

The Environment Agency says staff carried out the work on the Badsey Brook, near Evesham., external

Image source, Environment Agency

Worcestershire's Josh Tongue suffers a stress fracture in his foot and is to miss the England Lions' tour of the UAE.

A woman has died in a crash near Walsall last night.

Emergency services were called to the scene, n the A452 Chester Road close to Stonnall services at about 22:20.

Ambulance service staff said the woman's car had been badly damaged and she had suffered "very serious injuries" - she was confirmed dead at the scene.

The family of missing student Tom Jones in Worcester say a water rescue search team will continue to scour the area until he is found.

The 18-year-old, from Bromsgrove, has not been heard from since the early hours of Wednesday 19 September.

Image source, Family handout

The trainee teacher had only been in Worcester for a week.

West Mercia Police believes he crossed the Sabrina footbridge over the River Severn at some point between 03:30 and 04:00., external

His family said they were also contacting angling clubs and wanted boat owners in the area to help look out for Tom

This dramatic footage of a lorry fire on the M40 was taken by Jordan Jones who was passing the scene at about 04:00 on his way home to Bromsgrove from Watford.

He said around the scene of the fire was "complete gridlock".

Bowsers and engines from the fire service had to be escorted to and from the scene, to fill with water to keep the fire under control, said Warwickshire Police.

The carriageway, between J3A of the M42 and J16 of the M40 is likely to remain closed throughout the morning.

Express and Star

Some of the headlining stories on the Express and Star website today are:

• New Dudley Council leader Pete Lowe: We’ll fight relentless cuts, external
• Trust must act on old Wolverhampton eye infirmary, external
• Sandwell Council leader cleared over 'vendetta' claims, external

A new app, set to be called We Love Shropshire, is being developed by Shropshire Council to report potholes.

It was announced as part of a discussion this week on what the council plans to do if there's another bad winter.

Concerns were raised at the cabinet meeting that just 28% of Shropshire Council's road network would be gritted as part of its winter plan.

The authority says it's also developing a pilot snow volunteer scheme to ease the pressure.

Full demolition work starts at Wolverhampton railway station today.

Image source, City of Wolverhampton Council

As part of a £150m project, the station will be upgraded with features like a wall of grass, computerised billboards and high-rise offices.

The first section of the new station building will become operational to customers by autumn 2019.

Accident investigators are at the scene of a crash involving three lorries on the M40.

Image source, Warwickshire Police

Warwickshire Police said officers were called to the site on the northbound carriageway, between J15 and J16 shortly after 04:00.

An operation to recover a lorry, involved in an earlier fire on the southbound carriageway, is under way, said Highways England.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl Jackson

A school in Birmingham, which was found guilty of sex discrimination for segregating boys and girls, could close to secondary pupils from next September.

Al-Hijrah School, in Bordesley, which currently has more than 750 pupils, aged 4-16, was put into special measures by Ofsted in 2016.

Image source, Google

Birmingham City Council says new proposals are for the school to reopen on a different site just for primary pupils - with secondary-age children having to find places elsewhere.

Under the plans, the school will also become an academy and is likely to be renamed.

The proposed new site is two miles away, on Waverley Road, on the former annex to Small Heath School.

Drivers are being warned to avoid the M40 completely, as local roads are struggling to deal with the volume of traffic.

The road is closed from J3A of the M42 to J16 for Henley-in-Arden.

Traffic is busy on diversion routes through Warwick, Henley-in-Arden and Hatton, said Highways England.

There's also a mile of congestion before J14 for Leamington Spa on the northbound side, and on the M42 in both directions approaching the M40 interchange.

Local buses are also experiencing delays.

The M40 road closure, due to a lorry fire and a separate crash involving three heavy goods vehicles has been extended to J3A of the M42 says Highways England.

Image source, Warwickshire Police

Traffic in the area has "overwhelmed" Henley-in-Arden, said emergency planning officer Frank Bird.

"We're trying to get something open southbound", he said, "but the lorry's load spilled across the road."

"The hard shoulder and lane one have been so badly burnt that they're going to need to be resurfaced," he said.

The fire service said it was first called to a lorry fire on the southbound carriageway of the M40 in Warwickshire at about 02:50.

Crews were then called again to deal with a crash involving three heavy goods vehicles on the northbound carriageway at about 04:10.

The northbound road is expected to remain closed throughout the day.

The M40 in Warwickshire is closed following a serious crash and a severe lorry fire.

It affects both directions, between J16 for Henley in Arden, and J15 for Longbridge Island close to Warwick.

Image source, Warwickshire Police

The northbound carriageway is likely to remain closed throughout the day, said Highways England.

The southbound carriageway was closed after the fire at about 03:00.

A second crash happened shortly after 04:00, closing the northbound side.

Rich Davis
BBC Weather presenter

After a cloudy start for some, it should be a dry day with spells of sunshine 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 , externaland Facebook, external.