Allen Cook
BBC News

People in Shropshire have been out overnight with torches, searching rivers for an endangered animal., external

Image source, Environment Agency

The Environment Agency says it's been training members of Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on how to search for crayfish.

The reason? White-clawed crayfish are being killed off by American signal crayfish which were introduced to the UK in the 1970s.

The Environment Agency says it's keen to find out levels of crayfish in rivers across the country.

Image source, Environment Agency

A spell of windy weather could cause travel disruption across parts of the West Midlands today said the Met Office, as a yellow warning for wind was extended across the west of the region.

Some pulses of rain will make driving difficult at times too, it said.

Image source, Met Office

The warning is in place until midnight tonight.

Traffic is being diverted off the M6 southbound after a crash at J3 in Warwickshire, said Highways England.

There are currently long delays in the area after the multi-vehicle crash, it said.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

These stories are being covered today by the Stoke-on-Trent Live website:

• Police launch major investigation after two bodies found in neighbouring Burslem streets, external
• Mum's anguish after NHS blunder leads to death of baby son, external
• Burglar in jail after raiding two homes in the street where his mum lives, external

Nearly £5,000 is raised for the RNLI by the family of a kayaker who died during a race.

Coventry City Football Club has lost its battle for a full judicial review into the sale of the Ricoh Arena, Judges at the Court of Appeal have ruled.

Lawyers for Coventry City FC argued the Wasps Rugby Club should pay an extra £27m for the ground.

The football club says it is hoping to come to a deal with Wasps to extend its tenancy at the Ricoh Arena.

Three men have been arrested after a man was stabbed to death in Wolverhampton, police say., external

The victim, in his 30s, was pronounced dead at a property in Raven Crescent, Ashmore Park, at about 05:15, said West Midlands Police.

What was thought to be gunshots heard in the area could have been a car on fire at the scene, said the force.

The murder investigation is at an "early stage", it said, and officers are appealing for people in the area at the time to come forward.

BBC News Travel

There's five miles of queuing traffic on the M6 southbound in Warwickshire, after a crash at J3.

The crash, involving multiple vehicles has closed two lanes, with 40-minute delays being reported.

Another tree's been brought down in Staffordshire in the high winds from Storm Callum this morning.

Image source, Staffordshire Police

Staffordshire Police says a lane's shut on the B5032 Threapwood, near Alton, as the tree's damaged a phone line., external

Meanwhile, Stafford Borough Council says the high winds have forced the cancellation of tomorrow's farmers market in the town., external

The National Trust says Biddulph Grange Gardens has also shut today, because of Storm Callum

Several vehicles have been damaged in the Biddulph area of Staffordshire, police say, after high winds brought down trees this morning.

Biddulph Police tweeted , externalthat Storm Callum is starting to cause disruption on roads in the area.

Meanwhile, Cheshire Police says a tree's been brought down on Stone House Lane, Peckforton, near Nantwich:, external

Image source, Cheshire Police

Trains through Birmingham are facing delays this morning due to severe weather conditions.

The weather station at Shawbury, in Shropshire, said it was expecting winds of up to 43 knots.

BBC Business News

The owner of Patisserie Valerie has said its finance director Chris Marsh was arrested last night and then released on bail.

Image source, Getty Images

The Birmingham-based cafe chain is fighting for survival after revealing on Wednesday it had uncovered "significant, and potentially fraudulent, accounting irregularities".

Mr Marsh had been suspended when these problems were discovered.

On Thursday, the firm said it needed "an immediate injection of capital"to continue trading in its current form.

Birmingham Live

These are some of the headlines on the Birmingham Live website this morning:

• Investigation launched as man shot in a car in Smethwick, external
• Inside Birmingham's only permanent night shelter, external
• Ram-raiders smash their way into Nationwide building society, external

Tickets for the revamped BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2018, at Birmingham's Genting Arena, went on sale at 09:00 today.

For the first time this year, nominees will be revealed live on the night.

Viewers can also now vote for the Greatest Sporting Moment of the Year while people outside the UK can vote for their World Sport Star of the Year.

More than 15,000 people are expected at the awards on Sunday, 16 December.

Traffic lights at the roundabout junction of the M42 with Straford Road, near Solihull, have been knocked down, police say.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Drivers are being warned to take care at the junction, as there have been three recent crashes there, said West Midlands Police.

A man has been left with serious injuries after being hit by a car in Smethwick.

The crash happened at about 19:20 on Thursday, the ambulance service said, at the junction of Woodland Drive and Forest Close.

The pedestrian is currently in hospital.

Officers investigating two deaths in Stoke-on-Trent, believed to be linked, say there's no "ongoing threat or risk" to members of the public in the area.

Officers were initially called to reports of a body discovered near the allotments by Leonora Street at about 13:20 on Thursday.

Staffordshire Police said a second body was discovered at an address 0.3 miles away in Barnfield Road at 15:50.

The force said the deaths were being treated as unexplained but "appear to be linked".

A former West Midlands police inspector has been charged with making indecent images of children.

Lee Bartram, who worked as an inspector in Birmingham city centre until earlier this year, also faces a charge of committing misconduct in public office.

The 44-year-old of Bustleholme Lane, West Bromwich is due to appear before magistrates in Walsall on 1 November.

BBC News Travel

Rail disruption between Birmingham New Street and Lichfield Trent Valley is expected until 09:00, said Network Rail., external

Slippery rails means trains have to run at reduced speed on all lines, it said, with some bus services put in place.

BBC News Travel

A crash involving four cars has closed three lanes of the M6 northbound in Warwickshire.

A vehicle involved in an earlier crash was recovered, said Highways England, then a further crash took place approaching the original scene, between J4 (M42) and J4A.

Although the West Midlands is expected to miss the brunt of Storm Callum, Met Office weather warnings, external will skirt Herefordshire and Shropshire.

The two counties may face the heaviest rain and wind in the region today and tomorrow.

Some trains between Birmingham and Shrewsbury face delays due to the weather, while the Shawbury weather station said it was expecting gusts of up to 43 knots today.

As well as delays to public transport, the Met Office says floods are likely in the worst affected areas of the UK, "causing danger to life".

And this is why the weather is taking a turn for the worse: