This time of wonder has got people wondering. Why do we wear Christmas jumpers? And who thought panto was a good idea?

We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 on Thursday.

From all of us, have a very Merry Christmas!

Hereford Times

From the Hereford Times:

• Festival volunteer facing deportation on Christmas Day , external
• School boy raises money in memory of stepmum, external
• Hereford management and players bring some festive cheer to children's ward, external

A woman who died after being hit by a car when she got off a bus in Birmingham has been named as Baljit Kaur.

Her family said it had been left "devastated" and called for any witnesses to come forward.

Image source, Google

The 65-year-old was struck on Bristol Road, Edgbaston, just before 15:30 on Saturday.

A 36-year-old man, arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, has been released under investigation.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
George Makin

Plans to transform the Midlands’ largest shopping centre have been submitted.

Image source, Intu, Merry Hill

Merry Hill, which attracts about 18m visitors a year, could see £10m invested to transform its main entrance.

Plans submitted by owner intu include colour-changing exterior walls.

The application is expected to be heard by Dudley Council’s development committee in the new year.

More than £500,000 in cash has been seized after police officers intercepted a van following a tip-off from the National Crime Agency.

Image source, National Crime Agency

More than £400,000 was found in a holdall when officers stopped the vehicle close to Rugby on Tuesday 18 December.

A later search of an address in Epping Forest uncovered a further stash of banknotes, thought to be in the region of £100,000.

A man arrested on suspicion of money laundering offences has been released under investigation.

BBC Shropshire

People living near a decommissioned power plant are worried over the impact of housing planned to replace it, according to a survey., external

Ironbridge power station closed in 2015 and two years later the site was sold to Harworth Group plc for redevelopment.

The Gorge Parish Council sent a questionnaire to local residents and received 156 replies, with nearly 60% saying they wanted the housing to be affordable for first-time buyers.

But a quarter said they'd prefer the site to be turned into a nature reserve or wildlife area.

The parish council says it won't be taking an "official position" on the development options until another public consultation exercise in the spring.

A cyclist killed in a crash with a Porsche in Solihull on Saturday has been named as Anthony Satterthwaite.

The 51-year-old was struck just before 12:00 in Eastcote Lane, police said.

His family said he was a "much-loved Solihull father of two, and a very experienced cyclist.”

A 52-year-old man arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving has been released pending further investigation.

Wasps director of rugby Dai Young says his side has got to improve and stop making basic errors if it wants to climb the table.

Image source, Getty Images

The latest defeat saw Wasps lose at home 24-14 to Bath.

It leaves Wasps with only one victory from their past 12 matches, but they hold on to fourth place before facing Harlequins at Twickenham on Saturday.

The Bishop of Stafford is urging the government to rethink its decision to close a centre for asylum seekers in Stoke-on-Trent.

Image source, PA

The Rt Rev Geoff Annas said he’d been working with local support services since a reporting centre in Etruria shut in the summer , externaland asylum seekers were told they’d have to travel to Salford to sign on with the authorities.

He said getting to Manchester was too costly for people and questioned why a centre couldn't be run in Stoke-on-Trent.

The Home Office said the centre was closed for operational reasons and those who needed help were given travel cards or reimbursed.

Stratford Observer

From the Stratford Observer:

• Charity calendar awarded PM 'Points of Light' award, external
• Artistic volunteer decks the halls at hospital ward, external
• Tourism spokesman congratulates those involved in the Victorian Market, external

It will be a dry clear night, but cloudy and misty with some fog patches developing, and lows of 0C (32F).

BBC Stories

BBC radio presenter Adrian Goldberg is entitled to a German passport - and in a post-Brexit world it might come in useful.

But the Birmingham broadcaster's family history makes him think twice about taking this step.

You can read his story here.

Coventry Observer

From the Coventry Observer:

• Hospice receives double the donations it hoped for, external
• Lido looks set to be replaced with indoor pool, external
• Wasps coach looks to international stars for 2019 season, external

BBC Wales News

A woman has been reunited with her dog two years after she was stolen.

Trisha Joseph said she "never gave up" after an epic online hunt to trace her six-year-old springer spaniel Belle.

Image source, Trisha Joseph

She had joined more than 500 Facebook groups to spread the word and pictures of her dog in the hope someone would recognise her.

It finally paid off on Friday when keen-eyed people spotted Belle being put up for sale in Worcestershire; 75 miles away from Trisha in Powys, Wales.

Belle was being sold by an 18-year-old in Worcester who had kept her for the last six months.

He was shocked to find out the spaniel had been stolen - and insisted she went back to her rightful owners.

Shropshire Star

From the Shropshire Star:

• Man and woman killed in two Shropshire crashes, external
• Further tributes paid to talented Shropshire sportsman killed in Australia crash, external
• Oswestry mother hits back after cat advent calendar abuse, external

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

Two women have suffered "life-changing injuries" in a head-on crash.

Police say the collision happened on Sunday evening on High Street in Alsagers Bank near Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire.

Both women had to be cut free from the cars, external and a small child got out before Staffordshire Fire Service arrived.

A decision on the future of the former Woodlands Academy site is set to move a step closer next week.

Image source, Google

Coventry City Council's public consultation , externalover plans to convert it into a special school ends on New Year's Eve.

Councillors have agreed plans to relocate pupils from two sites at Woodfield Special School to the unused buildings of the former academy.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Citizens Advice Solihull Borough (CASB) says the loss of a key council contract will have a “devastating” impact on its services.

It says it will no longer have a permanent presence in the town centre and is warning of a major impact on its remaining base in Chelmsley Wood.

Solihull Council has insisted that residents will still be able to access support from its advice hubs in both the north and south of the borough.

CASB will continue to run services for the remainder of the financial year, with Age UK Solihull taking over responsibility from 1 April.

Coventry Live

From Coventry Live:

• This £5.5m classical music venue is opening in Coventry, external
• Cyclist killed in collision with car, external
• Warwick Rowers men bare all for 2019 calendar, external