Live updates from Monday 22 October to Sunday 28 October
Click Related Stories to read news from your area
Some great colours from last night's sunset, as shown in these photos from our local BBC Weather Watchers.
These are from users Raj's Range in Telford, Staff in Redditch and Draytondave in Market Drayton:
Image source, Raj's Range
Image source, Staff
Image source, DraytondaveHere are three headlines from the Shropshire Star today:
Two men are being hunted by police after officers say a motorbike rammed into their police car., external
Image source, GoogleThey were first called to a report of the pair breaking into a van on Orton Lane, Wombourne, Staffordshire, early on Wednesday morning.
When they arrived, officers say one of them appeared to deliberately crash the bike into their car, before both then fled on foot.
Lucy King
News Editor, BBC Radio Stoke
A minute's applause is going to be held in memory of a football fan who was found dead in Stoke-on-Trent.
The body of Nathan Bates, 19, was discovered on 11 October in Burslem, just hours after the body of Robert Goodwin, 57, was found near allotments less than half a mile away.
Mr Bates' death is being treated as murder, while Staffordshire Police said Mr Goodwin's death was unexplained - officers are linking the two deaths.
Port Vale Football Club says it wants all fans to take part in the applause in the 19th minute of their game this Saturday against Bury. , external
They describe Mr Bates as a Vale fan "from an early age".
All lanes have reopened on the M6 Northbound after an earlier lorry crash.
Image source, North West Motorway PolcieA truck was left embedded in the central reservation after crashing between junction 18 for Holmes Chapel, and junction 19 for Knutsford at about 07:25 this morning.
A crane moved the lorry as motorists suffered three-hour delays, with only one lane of the motorway open during the busy morning period.
The motorway has now fully reopened but there are still delays.
Nobody was injured in the crash, Cheshire Police said.
Telford and Wrekin Council says it will fight to keep the town's Debenhams open.
The chain says it plans to shut up to 50 of its stores and while it's not yet known which will be affected, the authority said it is "obviously concerned that the store in Telford Shopping Centre could be one of them".
Image source, Getty ImagesThe council said it would work with the shopping centre management and "do everything we can to lobby to keep it and also offering as much support as we can for staff whose jobs might be affected."
The House of Fraser store in Telford was one of the first in the country to be saved, following a campaign, after the retailer was bought by Sport Direct.
Arthur Gumbley, 87, died in hospital three weeks after being attacked at his home.
Read MoreThe Halesowen News is covering these stories today:
Local Democracy Reporting Service
A Coventry City councillor says the authority is being "held captive" by Microsoft, because it will have to pay £4.3m to renew its licences to use the software over the next three years.
The cost of the licence has risen by 30% since it was last agreed in 2015, and Councillor Ken Taylor said the authority needed to look at alternatives before the next contract expires.
Image source, Getty ImagesBut a report to the council pointed out there were "few alternative competitors" and warned moving to another operating system would "cause a significant amount of disruption".
And the member responsible for finance and resources, John Mutton said: "There is nothing that we can do about it."
The BBC has approached Microsoft for a comment.
Quote MessageIt’s totally unacceptable that Microsoft is increasing its licences charges way above the rate of inflation without regard of the cost to the public purse. I know it is difficult to change supplier but we as a council should be looking at alternatives for the future so the we are not held captive like this again.”
Councillor Ken Taylor, Coventry City Council
Sunil Narr from the West Midlands force has been granted unconditional bail after a court appearance.
Read MoreA Hereford soldier says he's feeling confident as he flies to Antarctica today, to attempt a world record.
Captain Lou Rudd is hoping to become the first person to cross the continent solo and unaided - a challenge which claimed the life of his friend and fellow explorer Henry Worsley two years ago.
Image source, British ArmyHe's been to Antarctica twice already, and says he's better prepared this time than ever before.
Capt Rudd skied across Greenland in May and completed his final test run in Iceland a month ago.
BBC Sport
Christian Wade's decision to retire from rugby mid-way through the season is being questioned by the former Harlequins scrum-half, and BBC Coventry and Warwickshire pundit Richard Moon.
The Wasps winger, who is the third highest all-time try scorer in the Premiership, is thought to be interested in a career in American Football.
Image source, Getty ImagesMoon, who also set up the Rugby Union Players Association, said he might have been better waiting until the end of the Premiership season.
He is expected to join the NFL's International Player Pathway Programme, which allows some NFL teams to add an extra overseas player to their practice squads,
But as those players are selected in June and teams start their off-season workouts in April, he might want to move to the United States before the rugby union season ends in May.
Quote MessageIt was a big call to go now, why not leave it to the end of the season if he was so determined, it's not great timing to go to the NFL now, in terms of breaking into the squad."
Richard Moon, Rugby Union pundit
A West Midlands Police officer's set to go on trial next year accused of assault after it's alleged a man was tasered and injured.
Image source, GooglePC Jonathon Hillier was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm following the incident in Kingstanding, Birmingham, in February.
Today, he pleaded not guilty at Birmingham Crown Court, was given bail and a date for his trial was set for April.
Allen Cook
BBC News
Dozens of fish are confirmed to have died from pollution caused by sewage at a fishing pool in Staffordshire.
Image source, Environment AgencyThe Environment Agency says it happened at Norton Canes, near Cannock, yesterday, but, as it's private land, it won't confirm the exact location.
Staff are pumping oxygen into the pool today and are monitoring the local water course to make sure the pollution doesn't spread.
Severn Trent Water is also on scene repairing a burst sewage main.
People in Oswestry are being warned they may hear a "small bang" today as controlled explosions are carried out on old artillery shells.
West Mercia Police said they were discovered on a building site at Park Hall yesterday afternoon and a 100m cordon had been set up as a precaution.
Image source, GoogleThe Army has been informed, Shropshire Council says, and a team from the Explosives Ordnance Disposal is working with emergency services to destroy the devices.
A military training camp used to be located at Park Hall.
West Mercia Police says the death of one of its police dogs from heatstroke this summer "was a shock to us all" and "in particular for those who were with her that day, all of whom remain deeply affected by it".
Assistant Chief Constable Geoff Wessell went on to say: "While our police dogs are working dogs and not pets, our handlers have a deep, trusting and loving bond with their dogs and I know how upset they would all have been as a result finding Ivy in this state."
Image source, Jennie EvansThe force said it would act on the recommendations of an investigation carried out by Staffordshire Police and give its dog handlers animal first aid training, as well as introduce technology to more accurately monitor the heat inside its vehicles.
The report, external also found that some officers had been using vehicles with air conditioning they knew wasn't operating correctly and recommended faulty vehicles should immediately be taken out of service.
And it said some staff "do not have an understanding of the operation of air con systems" and that they should receive instruction.
Birmingham Live
Some of the stories making the headlines on the Birmingham Live website today include:
Sophie Calvert
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
More than £6m is expected to be spent on consultants by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in the next financial year.
The figures, compiled in a report by the authority,, external also shows it expects to spend more than £2m on temporary staff and interim management.
There are currently 15 consultants and 48 agency staff employed on a short-term basis.
The report says consultants are used for specialist projects and temporary staff to cover vacancies during recruitment, holidays or sickness.
A police investigation has concluded one of its dogs died as a result of heatstroke after being left in a car during the summer heatwave.
Assistant Chief Constable Geoff Wessell of West Mercia Police said: "We accept that PD Ivy should not have died as a result of heatstroke and we have learned this very harsh lesson in the worst possible way."
Image source, Jennie EvansThe force also said "The fan was identified as one of the contributing factors in PD Ivy's death so within 48 hours of the incident, the fan on every dog section vehicle in the fleet was inspected and found to be functioning correctly."
West Mercia Police said a fan on the roof was faulty and may have caused hot air from the roof to be drawn into the vehicle.
Sergeant David Evans, the police dog handler who used to work with Ivy, had campaigned to keep her when he retired last year, but was denied by West Mercia Police, which said it was "in the best interests of the dog and the force that this request is not met".
BBC News Travel
All the railway lines between Birmingham and Northampton are blocked this morning, external, due to a police incident.
West Midlands Railway says it's happened just before 11:00.
