Allen Cook
BBC News

The number of murders in the West Midlands region rose by almost a third in the 12 months to the end of June, according to the latest crime figures. , external

The Office for National Statistics says there were 79 homicides in the year, up 30% on the year before, with West Midlands Police dealing with the majority, 42.

The figures also show the number of recorded violent offences rose by 12%, there was a 21% increases in robberies and sexual offences were up by 12%.

The West Midlands region also saw one of the biggest rises in cases of death or serious injury from unlawful driving, up 56% on the previous year to 92 cases.

The only categories in which there was a percentage fall in the figures for the region were for drug offences, down 10%, and bicycle thefts, down 9%.

BBC Weather Watchers

Morning mist was visible in Shropshire this morning, as seen in this picture taken by BBC Weather Watcher Gorgina Eley in Buildwas.

Image source, Georgina Eley

This was the sunrise over Whitley, Coventry, taken by Chris OB.

Image source, Chris OB

And this early morning scene was taken by Jamie Cashmore in Coventry.

Image source, Jamie Cashmore

Stoke-on-Trent Live

A few of the stories featuring on the Stoke-on-Trent Live website today:

• Police cordon in place after body found in alley, external
• Teenager, 15, taken to hospital after knife attack, external
• Drug addicts spotted rummaging in wheelie bins at night, external

A fire at a trampoline park in Exhall, Warwickshire, has been safely extinguished, said Warwickshire fire service.

Image source, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service

Crews remain on site after being called to the fire at Red Kangaroo on School Lane at about 02:00 today.

At its height up to 70 firefighters were at the scene, with crews being brought in from the neighbouring West Midlands service.

Trevor Owens
Sports Editor, BBC Hereford & Worcester

Worcester Warriors teenager Ted Hill's been called up for the first time by England for their squad for the autumn internationals.

Image source, Getty Images

He joins fellow Warriors player Nick Schonert as one of eight uncapped players named by Eddie Jones.

There are also call-ups for Worcester's Ben Te'o, due to make his comeback from injury this weekend, and Wasps' Brad Shields and Elliot Daly.

England face South Africa on 3 November before matches against world champions New Zealand, Japan and Australia on successive weekends.

Experts from the Army, called out to reports of a suspected unexploded bomb on Cannock Chase, found instead they were examining a buried pipe., external

Image source, Google

Police say they were called to the Shooting Butts Environmental Education Centre on Penkridge Road yesterday with people fearing a World War One device had been found.

During the war, Cannock Chase hosted thousands of soldiers who were trained there before being sent to the Western Front.

Officers investigating a serious hit-and-run crash in Birmingham have released an image of a vehicle suspected of being involved.

Image source, West Midlands Police

A 63-year-old man remains in a critical condition after being hit by a car in Genners Lane, Northfield on 2 October, said West Midlands Police.

PC Michelle O'Brien said "We are unclear at this stage whether the man was crossing or had already sustained injuries in the road before he was hit by a car."

The force is urging anyone with information to come forward.

The Daily Telegraph

The drive to target hate crime is forcing police officers to spend valuable time investigating wolf-whistles, bad manners and impolite comments, a police leader has warned.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Sgt Richard Cooke, the recently elected chairman of the West Midlands Police Federation, said forces were expected to record and follow up reports of hate crime, even when no criminal offence had taken place.

Writing in the Telegraph, external, Mr Cooke warns police officers would be dispatched to offer words of advice to people, but this meant they had less time to focus on "genuine crimes" such as burglary and violence.

Britain's farmers should no longer get "privileged" access to low-skilled, low-paid workers from the EU after Brexit, according a top government adviser.

Fruit, vegetable and other plant farming brought in a combined £268m to the West Midlands economy in 2016.

Alan Manning, who chairs the Migration Advisory Committee, said fruit and vegetable growers would probably "go backwards".

Image source, PA

But it would not be the "end of the earth" for the UK economy as a whole.

Local farmers have been vocal in challenging the government to make sure the sector has access to workers, particularly seasonal pickers, in the interest of the economy and food security.

Shropshire Star

Here are some of the headlines in the Shropshire Star this morning:

• Shropshire Council looking to build its own homes to rent and buy, external
• Cars clocked travelling at twice the speed limit in Cressage, external
• Telford A&E crisis: Warning of "horrendous" early morning logjams when night closures start, external

A 14-year-old girl has written to Worcestershire County Council, urging it to reconsider the closure of four of its children's homes.

Image source, Worcestershire County Council

The local authority says it costs £1.1m to run the homes in Worcester, Malvern, Pershore, Evesham, Bromsgrove and Redditch - and the closures would release funds which could be spent on keeping teenagers out of care.

But in her open letter to the council, the girl, whose identity is protected, says foster care is not always appropriate.

The first branch of Tesco's new discount chain called Jack's opens in the West Midlands today.

Image source, Getty Images

The company aims to tackle the rising threat posed by German rivals Aldi and Lidl.

The Rubery store will open ahead of a planned store in Castle Bromwich.

This footage of a severe fire at a trampoline park was taken by Exhall resident Matthew Cairns shortly after 02:30.

About 20 firefighters remain on site, at the Red Kangaroo trampoline park after the fire broke out.

School Lane, at the junction of Coventry Road, is expected to remain closed throughout the morning.

A man's body has been found in an alleyway in Stoke-on-Trent.

Police were called to Portland Street in Hanley at about 05:15, said Staffordshire Police.

The surrounding area is still partly cordoned off and police have been out doing door-to-door inquiries this morning.

Express and Star

Some of today's Express and Star headlines include:

• Attempted ram-raid leads police to cannabis farm, external
• Evacuation after unexploded bomb found at Cannock Chase, external
• Pensioner hit by taxi 'struck by overtaking Mercedes', external

A new campaign to tackle teenage knife crime in the West Midlands is to be launched today.

The Life or Knife project has been created with ideas from children in the region.

As well as increasing the number of talks about knife crime in schools, the campaign will provide information via social media about the risks and a video for parents.

The campaign is aimed at children aged 14-16.

A girl who had her leg reattached backwards after cancer surgery is to return to school after being fitted for a new prosthetic limb.

Amelia Eldred from Tamworth, in Staffordshire, was diagnosed with bone cancer in her left leg last year and had surgery to amputate the limb.

A rare procedure called rotationplasty was used by doctors at Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, in Birmingham, to reattach the lower part of the leg backwards to allow the ankle joint to work as a knee joint.

She said she was looking forward to surprising school friends later today.

Police were led on a long chase overnight, taking in three force areas, before a crash in Warwickshire.

Image source, West Midlands Police

West Midlands Police said its officers chased a car for more than 30 minutes from Lichfield in Staffordshire all the way to Coleshill.

What's more they said his "poor dog" was in the car with him.

A man is now in custody.

Wasps forward Nathan Hughes won't be named in Eddie Jones' England squad after being banned for six weeks for punching.

Image source, Getty Images

Hughes's absence means England are without their two first-choice number eights, with Billy Vunipola injured.

Hughes, 27, had already missed one game, having being put under a temporary ban pending Wednesday night's delayed decision for punching Gloucester's Lewis Ludlow.

The Fiji-born forward will miss the first Test against South Africa on 3 November as well as matches against New Zealand and Japan on the following weekends, but he will be available for the final game against Australia on 24 November.

Hundreds of jobs could be lost at Walsall Council as it tries to save £20m from its budget next year.

The local authority has already saved more than £170m since 2010.

Council tax is due to go up by almost 3%, but further savings could include scrapping schemes such as free personal alarms for the elderly.

Youth and library services will also be reviewed, said the council.