BBC News Travel

Rail replacement services will serve stations from Longbridge to Droitwich Spa via Bromsgrove due to damage to signalling cables.

BBC WM

Almost 230,000 women in the West Midlands haven't had a smear test for at least three and a half years.

Nationally the figure is close to three million, according to figures from Public Health England.

It's recommended women under the age of 50 should have one every three years, while those between 50 and 64 should have one every five years.

Public Health England say screening rates are at their lowest for two decades.

BBC Weather

It'll be breezy today, but dry with some bright spells between the cloud. Highs of 14C (57F).

Monica Rimmer
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Tuesday.

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.

We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 on Tuesday, but keep an eye out here for more updates before then.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
George Makin

Beer and ballots are not the usual mix in local politics, but could be making an appearance in Sandwell if a suggestion to open a polling station on pub premises is accepted.

The plan to use the car-park of the Bull’s Head on Birchfield Lane as the location of a portable cabin where residents can cast their vote has been put forward after the nearby existing polling station closed.

The suggestion is on the agenda of a meeting of the General Purposes and Arbitration Committee when councillors will discuss the location of voting booths for the Langley and Newton Wards.

Image source, Google

Other options for sites in the area include green space on York Road and the York Road Social and Sports Club - in all three cases ballots would be cast in a manned portable building.

Local Langley councillor Bill Gavan emphasised that if the option of a polling station at the Bull’s Head was accepted, it would not be located in the bar.

"It would be a cabin on the car park", he explained, "and the idea is really to allow people to vote without long walks to neighbouring polling stations."

The proposals will be discussed next Monday.

Crews have dealt with a fire involving a recycling lorry.

It happened in Manor Road, Clifton upon Teme, Worcester, at about 10:35.

Image source, @HWFireTenbury

The vehicle was carrying plastic and cardboard which was tipped on to the road.

Workers from the local council attended to clear the road.

Birmingham Live

Birmingham Live is looking at these stories today:

• Traffic at a standstill and M6 shut as pedestrian knocked down by car on Chester Road, external
• Freight train derails leading to major line shut down between Walsall and Birmingham New Street, external
• 'Kids champion' police officer arrested on suspicion of possession of indecent images of children, external

Local Democracy Reporting Service
George Makin

A typical council tax payer in Dudley can expect a £65 rise next year as local authority finance officers predict a 4.49% increase will be implemented.

The hike could see the bill for an average Band D household rise from £1,458 to £1,523 and there may be additional charges from the police and fire authorities which are collected by the council.

The increase was agreed in principle when councillors passed the 2018 budget in February.

The medium-term financial strategy, to be presented to this week's cabinet, also predicts additional increases of 2.99% for each year up to 2021.

The report adds that despite these rises the authority is facing the prospect of over-running its budget if further cuts in services are not made.

The report will be discussed by members of the cabinet on 25 October.

David Landau
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

Coventry's getting £5m from the Arts Council to help fund the City of Culture 2021 programme.

The announcement was made this evening at the city's transport museum., external

Image source, PA

Coventry was chosen in December to be the UK's City of Culture in three years' time..

Making the announcement, Arts Council England's chief executive Darren Henley said "partnership and leadership will determine the success of 2021".

The jury is still considering 14 charges of child cruelty against the ex-headmaster.

Liz Ellis
Presenter, BBC Radio Stoke

The younger sister of murdered soldier Lee Rigby says moving to Staffordshire has helped her family overcome his death.

Image source, PA

Courtney Rigby, who now lives in Oakamoor, was just 11 when her brother Lee was killed outside his barracks in Woolwich in May 2013.

Her mother Lyn then created a centre in the Staffordshire village to give better support for parents after the death of their children in the forces.

Courtney Rigby told BBC Radio Stoke she is now planning to raise money through charity running events for the foundation set up in her brother's name.

A cycling scheme is creating activities for the children and their families to do together.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Dare

Cycling enthusiasts disappointed by the decision not to build a velodrome in Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games have been told to "make a noise" by the organising committee chairman.

Speaking at the announcement of the official venues for the Games on Friday chairman John Crabtree said that he was not involved in the decision to host track cycling in London instead of Birmingham.

But he also said that he understood the decision not to build a new facility on financial grounds.

Mr Crabtree said that if he were in the shoes of a cyclists wanting a new velodrome built, he would be out lobbying for it.

Image source, BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL

"There's austerity at the moment, and everyone understands that. And we all know that all our services, wherever they are, are under pressure aren’t they?

"So everything that you spend your money on you have to make sure you get a return on.

"I say to the cyclists, make a noise. Lobby. Do what I would do if I was you. Get your lycra on and use social media, that's the thing today."

The venues for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games were confirmed on Friday.

A cyclist has died after a crash with a lorry this morning. , external

Police say the collision involved two cyclists and an HGV on the A449, south of Kidderminster, at around 11:00.

They say a man in his 60s, from Brierley Hill, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The other cyclist, a man in his 60s, from Hagley, Stourbridge, was taken to hospital for more treatment.

Officers arrested a 48-year-old man from Halesowen on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

Two tweets are being investigated by West Midlands Police , externalconcerning a Watford fan.

The comments were posted on the day of Saturday's Wolves game - Hertfordshire Police made the West Midlands force aware of the comments.

Police are now looking into whether any "malicious communication offences" have been committed.

Phil Bowers
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

Staffordshire Police had to call off-duty officers in at the weekend to staff a football match.

Image source, Staffordshire Police

Chief Constable Gareth Morgan tweeted that he had to cancel rest days to have enough officers to deal with Stoke City's match with Birmingham City on Saturday.

He put that down to losing 500 officers since 2010 due to budget cuts , externaland not having enough resources to fill the gaps.

He's apologised to those who had to work and says he's reviewed the force's staffing of football matches to try and ensure they can be covered in future. , external

The Home Office says it is committed to making sure the police have the resources they need to do their "vital work".

Why the Budget, Brexit and Birmingham are all intertwined.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, West Mercia Police says.

BBC Weather

Tonight will be dry and clear at first but turning cloudy in the early hours, lows of 4C (39F).