An investigation has been launched after the burned body of a cat was discovered in Coventry on Halloween.

The RSPCA says it was found wrapped in a red blanket, which was also charred and dumped near a house in the Stoke area of the city.

The charity said the discovery was "really, really concerning".

The mother of a girl groomed by her coach tells of the impact the abuse and his suicide had on their lives.

Lucy King
News Editor, BBC Radio Stoke

A man who died after trying to save another traveller as she was stabbed to death in Australia has been honoured by the Duke of Cambridge.

Image source, PA

Thomas Jackson, 30, of Congleton, Cheshire, was stabbed as he tried to help Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 20, in the attack at a hostel in 2016.

Today, he was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal for great courage at a ceremony and his mother Sandra Jackson (pictured) received the honour on his behalf.

Several wards at hospitals in Herefordshire have been closed to visitors because of cases of diarrhoea and vomiting due to the norovirus.

The Ryebrook, Wye and Kenwater wards at Hereford County Hospital are affected, as well as two wards at Ross Community Hospital.

The minor injury unit in Ross-on-Wye has also been temporarily closed.

Phil Bowers
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

A woman's been charged with arson, external following a house fire that saw two men taken to hospital.

Image source, Staffordshire Fire Service

The blaze took hold at a house in Bradbury Close in the Norton area of Stoke-on-Trent on Monday.

Staffordshire Police said the two men, both aged 19, suffered from smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital by ambulance.

The 42-year-old woman, of Bradbury Close, has been charged with arson with intent/reckless as to whether life was endangered.

A Telford taxi driver who refused to take a disabled passenger because he didn't want his guide dog in the car has been fined by magistrates.

Zaheer Mahmood, who is a 48 and a private hire driver from Apley, had claimed he didn't want to accept the fare in Wellington, because his boot was full and he had no room for luggage, Shropshire Council said.

The local authority investigated and said it obtained a recording of his conversation with his operator and checked other bookings during the day.

Mr Mahmood was found guilty at Telford Magistrates' Court of an offence under the Equality Act 2010 - he was fined £300 and ordered to pay a £30 victim surcharge and prosecution costs of £2,000.

Frances Darling, in charge of trading standards and licensing operations, said such cases were taken "extremely seriously as they affect some of the most vulnerable people in our society".

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Traffic outside the Hadley Learning Community in Telford has reached "a position of crisis" the school principal has said.

Paul Roberts told Hadley and Leegomery parish councillors a car arrived at his campus every one-and-a-half seconds at peak times.

Image source, Google

Mr Roberts went on to explain the school had grown to take 1,700 students and that the surrounding roads couldn't cope any more.

He suggested a one-way system with a dropping-off point might help, and members of the parish council said it was a problem across Telford and might need the attention of Telford and Wrekin Council.

A Shropshire town is considering defecting from the Shropshire Council local authority area - to join neighbouring Telford and Wrekin instead.

The idea has been suggested by the mayor of Broseley, Michael Burton, who is angry about the amount of money the town gets from Shropshire Council.

Image source, Google

The suggestion is on the agenda to be discussed at the next town council meeting on 13 November.

The leader of Telford and Wrekin Council, Shaun Davies, suggested in a tweet , externalthat it should be known as BroExit.

Shropshire Council has been approached for a comment.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl Jackson

The leader of Birmingham City Council has confirmed the local authority contributed £52,000 towards a failed bid to lure Channel 4 to the city.

Last week, the broadcaster chose Leeds rather than Birmingham as the location for its new headquarters.

Addressing a full council meeting yesterday, Councillor Ian Ward said the total cost of the bid was £282,000.

Staffordshire Live

The Staffordshire Live website is featuring these stories today:

• 'I can't forgive man who murdered my daughter,' says mum as killer is set to be freed, external
• Pervert jailed for kidnapping girl given extra prison time, external
• Work on mini-roundabouts promised 15 years ago at traffic blackspot still not started, external

The Health Exchange has been told it must ensure care is provided in a safe way.

The family of a 19-year-old woman who died following a car crash in Warwickshire have described her as a "wonderful, loving, kind and happy girl".

Warwickshire Police said Alison Ingham, from Warwick, died in hospital on 30 October after a car left the road on a bend between Warmington and Kineton on 24 October.

Her family went on to say: "She lived her short life to the full and never had a bad word to say about anyone.

"She touched so many lives in her 19 years and her sister, mother and father are so proud of what she achieved in her short life."

One of the life-size wooden figures set up in Shropshire to remember the servicemen who lost their lives in World War One has been snapped in two.

The landlord of the Rose and Crown pub, Gary Seymour, said he spotted the damaged figure while out walking on Whitcliffe, Ludlow, this morning and he believes it could have been done by vandals.

Image source, The Rose and Crown

He said: "One person has suggested it could have been caused by the wind, but I don't think it was that bad last night."

The statues, known as Silent Silhouettes, are the idea of the Royal British Legion, external, and communities have been applying to have them installed.

The pub holds an annual gathering for the Royal British Legion on armistice day and has its own Silent Soldier - one of dozens on display around the town.

Arnold Baxter has a year added to his kidnapping sentence after more than 6,500 images were found.

Worcester News

Here are three of the top stories from the Worcester News today:

• Cancer campaigner and columnist Kate Butler dies, external
• Thieves sneak into hospital wards and steal items, external
• Protest plans for UKIP's youth conference, external

BBC News UK

World War One leader Douglas Haig should not be regarded as a "pantomime villain", according to a West Midlands historian.

Image source, Universal History Archive

Field Marshal Haig was a national hero and was rewarded with the title of earl for leading Britain to victory.

But his reputation changed after his death and he was derided as one of the "donkeys" who sent so many "lions" to their deaths on the Western Front.

However Prof Gary Sheffield, of the department of war studies at Wolverhampton University, said Haig deserves better and his record should not be viewed through the prism of hindsight.

Andy Giddings
BBC News

The Ironbridge Gorge Museums got a telling off from comedian Dawn French today, when they tweeted a photo of a scone with the jam spread on top of the cream.

That's like a red rag to a bull to those who think the jam should be spread on first and she responded with this tweet.

Image source, Twitter

Traditionalists are divided on the correct way to spread jam and cream on a scone.

People from Cornwall prefer their jam on first, while people in Devon insist it should be cream first.

Image source, Getty Images

Three men are being questioned by police about a string of ram-raids in the space of a day which saw a blow-torch and crowbars used to get into shops., external

Image source, West Midlands Police

Officers say they arrested the trio on suspicion of burglary last night after tracking a Land Rover which was reported to have been used in break-ins in Dudley, Hockley and Kings Heath.

The force says it's also investigating to see if there's a connection to two ram-raids in the space of 15 minutes yesterday morning, at an Argos in Kings Heath and a jewellers in Yardley Wood Road.

Shropshire Star

Here are three headlines from the Shropshire Star today:

• Checkmate for chess cheat, external
• Firefighters tackle tree blaze, external
• Road reopens three months after lorry bridge crash, external

Tom Edwards
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

A jury has been told a prisoner at HMP Hewell in Worcestershire decided to attack a fellow inmate "for no apparent reason", killing him with a single punch.

James Johnson, who is 38 and from Cheltenham, is on trial at Worcester Crown Court following the death of inmate Luke Derriman at the jail near Redditch in January.

Rachel Bland QC, who’s prosecuting, said the defendant was caught on CCTV approaching the victim before attacking him with a punch that severed an artery in his neck.

He denies the charge of manslaughter and the trial continues.