A Shropshire man with motor neurone disease who's fighting for a review of assisted dying laws is due to find out later today if his legal case can continue.

In June, the Court of Appeal rejected a request made by Noel Conway from Garmston for a judicial review of the current laws.

Today his lawyers plus campaign group Dignity in Dying will ask for a full hearing at the Supreme Court.

Mr Conway, who says he feels "entombed" by his illness, is dependent on a ventilator for up to 23 hours a day and only has movement in his right hand, head and neck.

The number of homeless people living across the West Midlands has risen to 24,000, new figures show.

Housing charity Shelter says the number has increased by more than 2,500 in the past year.

According to the report, Birmingham has the highest level of homelessness in the region with one in 73 people in the city homeless - 57 of them sleeping rough.

This was followed by Coventry, Rugby, Walsall and Wyre Forest.

In all, almost 320,000 people in Britain are now homeless, Shelter says - an increase of 13,000 in the last year.

Rich Davis
BBC Weather presenter

After a frosty start it should be a mostly dry day with the odd shower and highs of 6C (43F).

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Thursday.

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 , externaland Facebook, external.

Rita Hunter from Liverpool tricked a financial adviser out of £175,000.

The memorial's unveiling comes exactly 44 years after 21 people were killed in two bomb blasts.

Managerless Shrewsbury Town beat National League high-fliers Salford City in their FA Cup first round replay.

No-one is reported injured in the blaze, which damaged a two-storey unit on an industrial estate.

Ozell Pemberton, 16, was stabbed to death outside a McDonald's restaurant in Sutton Coldfield.

Children in the West Midlands become Super Movers thanks to SPOTY

Andy Giddings
BBC News

We'll be back with the news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 tomorrow.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Children's services in Worcestershire have improved since they were rated inadequate two years ago, but some issues still remain, the latest Ofsted report has found.

The inspectors, who were paying their sixth visit to the county since that original rating, said the evidence social workers presented during care hearings was "increasingly robust" and that they were proactive when children went missing.

But Ofsted found that a "significant minority" of looked after children did not have their educational needs met sufficiently and that better plans were needed for some.

These stone horses heads must be among the more unusual items stored in the police lost property department in Market Drayton

They were recovered by officers in the town this morning.

They're asking the owners to get in touch.

Image source, West Mercia Police

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

Turning dry this afternoon on the weather front for the West Midlands, here's how the forecast is looking for tonight and tomorrow:

You can get a latest forecast for your part of the West Midlands at any other time, by heading to the BBC Weather website.

Worcester News

Here are three headlines from today's Worcester News:

• Children's services improving but issues remain, external
• Couple organising beauty pageant for bullied children, external
• Cost of swimming pool demolition could rise sharply, external

Allen Cook
BBC News

The chief executive of Stoke-on-Trent-based gambling firm Bet365, Denise Coates, who's just been given a bumper pay rise, started the company in a car park 18 years ago.

Image source, PA

Ms Coates earned a first class degree in econometrics - the application of statistical methods to economic data - from Sheffield University, before joining the high street betting firm, run by her father.

She identified the potential of online gambling in 2000 and invested in the domain name Bet365.com so that she could drive the family business in that direction.

Bet365 started off in a temporary building on a car park and is now the largest private sector employer in Stoke-on-Trent, with millions of customers worldwide.

Today, it was revealed Ms Coates's compensation, as the firm's "highest paid director" rose to £265m including dividends. Her "basic pay" rose by £21m.

The family has an estimated fortune of £5.80bn, ranking them 21st on the Sunday Times rich list.

A fake letter, telling people in Telford their local park is going to have 3,000 homes built on it, has been referred to the police.

Telford and Wrekin Council has warned people not to be taken in by the hoax, which also invites people to a consultation event.

Image source, Telford and Wrekin Council

Firefighters aren't always called out when a cat gets stuck up a tree, but they made an exception for Monty in Stratford, after he had been "stuck for a considerable amount of time".

But Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said "in true cat style, he showed his appreciation by running off as fast as possible."

Image source, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A former car dealership in Telford could be turned into a church.

The All Nations Church has submitted plans to convert the Shukers garage in Ketley into a place of worship and community centre.

Image source, Google

The church said it would hold small services for between five and six people on weekday mornings and larger services on Sundays.

People living in the surrounding areas are being asked for their views on the proposals, which also include 55 parking spaces.

Vicky Norton
BBC Radio Stoke

A live music venue is to be demolished in Crewe as part of plans to build a five-storey car park., external

Image source, Google

Plans have been given the go-ahead for the 243-space car park to be built close to the railway station, behind the Royal Hotel.

Cheshire East Council says outbuildings, including the 300-capacity venue The Box, will make way for the development and a replacement will be provided inside the Royal Hotel, which is set to be renovated.