Alec Blackman
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

Both Jaguar and Aston Martin bucked the national trend, seeing car sales rise last month, compared with 2017 sales.

Image source, Aston Martin

The number of total vehicles registered nationally was down 20.5% on the same period in 2017 at 338,834, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.

Coventry-based Jaguar sold 7,047 vehicles last month, compared with 5,899 for the same period last year, with Aston Martin selling 272, up from 144.

The SMMT said it had been an "exceptional" September, following "an unusually high August and a turbulent first eight months of the year".

Shares in Aston Martin closed almost £1 below their float price on their first day of trading on the London stock exchange on Wednesday.

Three police officers were attacked in Crewe last night, with one suffering a broken nose, and another being racially abused.

Cheshire Police says it happened as they were called to reports of shoplifting at Sports Direct on Grand Junction Retail Park.

Image source, Google

A 22-year-old man from Crewe was arrested on suspicion of theft, and a range of assault offences.

Stoke City winger Tom Ince says the players have to produce more performances like the one against Bolton on Tuesday.

He scored one and setup another in the game, which was only Stoke's third League win of the season.

Image source, Getty Images

Ince said the players had been "bitterly disappointed" with the results so far and had been "chomping at the bit" to put that right.

Worcester News

Here are three of the headlines from today's Worcester News:

• Convicted rapist still on the loose after fleeing court, external
• Man and donkey pass through city on 700-mile walk, external
• Historic tank footage to be shown, external

Another meeting is due to take place in a bid to find a way of keeping Telford's accident and emergency department open 24 hours a day.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust announced last week it would have to close overnight, for at least six months because of staff shortages, but local politicians are seeking to avoid this.

Today's meeting, involving local politicians and hospital bosses, has been arranged by Telford MP Lucy Allan.

Police are hunting a convicted rapist who escaped from Worcester Crown Court yesterday.

Bradley Tout, who is 20 and from Durham Road in Worcester, ran away after being found guilty of rape.

Image source, West Mercia Police

West Mercia Police believe he is still in Worcestershire and believe friends may be harbouring him.

Plans for the transformation of the city centre in Wolverhampton, external have been revealed, with the public being asked for their feedback., external

Image source, City of Wolverhampton Council

The council's Westside Link proposals include limiting traffic through the city centre, creating a series of "safe and attractive" spaces, to host events, it said.

Image source, City of Wolverhampton Council

The first phase will cover Victoria Street, Skinner Street, Salop Street and School Street, and is expected to run from May 2019 to December 2019.

It will include the removal of the existing roadway and the creation of a new public square.

Image source, City of Wolverhampton Council

An exhibition will be held at the Civic Centre weekdays from Monday 8 October until Friday 26 October, and at the Mander Centre on Saturday 13 October.

The closing date for the consultation is Friday 2 November.

A female pedestrian has died after a crash involving two cars last night.

The ambulance service said it was called to Waterloo Road, outside the Sikh Temple in Smethwick at about 21:50.

Image source, Google

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival, ambulance staff found bystanders trying to assist the woman.

“Crews and the doctor performed advanced life support, but sadly it was not possible to save her, and she was confirmed dead at the scene."

Jaguar Land Rover has made it on to the list of the top 100 most valuable global brands.

The Coventry-based car maker took 78th place, followed by Mini at 90, Burberry at 94 and Johnnie Walker at 97.

Image source, Getty Images

Apple, Google are the most valuable global brands, holding the top positions for the sixth consecutive year.

Interbrand calculates brand value by assessing its influence in driving customer choice, its strength in relation to the competition and its current and forecast financial performance.

A cyclist has died in a crash involving a car last night.

Emergency services were called to Wenlock Road, Shrewsbury, shortly after 21:00.

Despite the best efforts of paramedics the man died at the scene, said the ambulance service.

Sophie Calvert
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

The city council in Stoke-on-Trent is putting together a detailed bid for government funding for transport in the city, including the reintroduction of trams.

The area has been shortlisted for a share of the government's £840m Transforming Cities fund, which could also be used to introduce electric buses.

Proposals include transforming Stoke-on-Trent railway station into a major transport hub, improving public transport links – including between the station, city centre and Etruria Valley – and enhancing walking and cycling links across the city.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl Jackson

Symphony Hall in Birmingham is set for a £13.5m redevelopment featuring a new entrance, extra bars and additional performance spaces.

Image source, Google

The world-renowned concert hall in Birmingham city centre will be remodelled as part of a project called Making an Entrance.

The project has been detailed in a report set to go to Birmingham City Council’s cabinet bosses on Tuesday 9 October.

Performances Birmingham Ltd, which operates Symphony Hall, has been fundraising for the development but has requested the option of a £3m loan from the local authority to complete the work if necessary.

A road running through the centre of a village near Newport, in Shropshire, has been closed, after a large hole appeared.

The hole in Church Aston, started out just three inches wide, villager Colin Thacker said, but is now more than five feet wide.

Local councillor Andrew Eade said it was a mystery, but a local historian believed it may have been caused by a culvert dug into the sandstone in the 1780s or 1790s, although it does not appear on any maps.

"It's something nobody knew was there and has been there for probably 230 years," he said.

He added that he was "staggered" that it had been undetected for so many years and that there may be "huge safety issues" with gas mains and other building work running over it.

Express and Star

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

• Traveller camp ban to protect 60 sites in Wolverhampton, external
• Derelict Wolverhampton pub eyed for apartments, external
• Mechanic with form given another chance by judge, external

Simon Gilbert
Political Reporter, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

Incidents of fly-tipping in Coventry have risen by 40% in a year, council figures show.

The number of incidents rose from 3,300 in to more than 4,700 in the last financial year.

The council said the rise was exacerbated by a change in legislation and the cost of waste disposal, with scrap metal dealers now "reluctant" to take some kinds of waste.

Savings of £2.5m have recently been made on waste collection, street cleansing and enforcement, with the council moving to fortnightly bin collections.

"The degree to which the saving programmes have increased fly-tipping the city is difficult to quantify," it said, "against a backdrop of increased fly-tipping nationally".

A £4m flood management scheme which could provide relief for villages in Worcestershire is being completed today.

Image source, Environment Agency

Broadway was severely flooded in 2007, following record-breaking rainfall across the area.

The new flood storage area will be able to hold up to 135,000 cubic metres of water during floods.

The system will reduce flood risk along the Badsey Brook, downstream of Broadway, said the Environment Agency.

Ben Godfrey
BBC Midlands Today

The number of children going into care in Sandwell has risen by a third in the past 18 months, the BBC has learned.

In August of 2018 there were 838 children in care, compared with 610 in March 2017.

Those children at risk are now being supported by an independent trust and dozens more social workers recruited.

Jacqui Smith, chair of Sandwell Children's Care Trust said said it was right that the trust was taking so much intervention.

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

After a damp and misty start for some, it should be a dry day with sunny spells and highs of 17C (63F).

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Thursday.

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

West Bromwich Albion score two late goals to draw with Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.