Local Democracy Reporting Service

A bid to combine two Warwickshire parish councils has been abandoned after only 11 people supported the move.

Some councillors in the parishes of Beaudesert and Henley-in-Arden argued joining forces would raise the areas' profile and help attract more visitors and business.

Stratford District Council was asked to carry out a survey of the 3,000 people living there.

Image source, Google

Only 36 people responded, with 25 opposing the idea.

Stratford councillor responsible for democracy, Stephen Thirwell, called the response "sad".

Ben Crane is passionate about looking after hawks in the English West Midlands but it was after his son was born he realised how much they had helped him. Ben has Asperger's syndrome, but caring for the birds helped him to bond with his son. (Photo credit: BBC)

Hereford Times

From the Hereford Times:

• Postal workers thanked as Christmas deadlines approach, external
• Car hits garden wall, external
• Resident blasts councillors over pigeon mess, external

A council has refused to grant retrospective planning permission for the house deemed 76cm too tall.

Tazmin Pugh's father has spoken about how his daughter, found dead after a fire, will be remembered.

A disused shopping centre in Hanley should become a leisure arena as it would bring "real economic growth" to Stoke-on-Trent, the councillor responsible for regeneration says.

Daniel Jellyman said he was looking to work with businesses to redevelop the East West shopping centre site, and the former bus station next to it.

Work to demolish the buildings on the seven-and-a-half-acre site is under way.

BBC Radio Stoke Sport

Port Vale manager Neil Aspin says he wants to see a big improvement after they conceded four goals against two of the teams at the bottom end of the league table.

He said defending had to get better, adding improvement was needed across the team.

Image source, Getty Images

Port Vale face four games in nine days over Christmas.

Homeowners who leave houses empty in Walsall face being charged a 300% premium on their council tax.

Image source, Google

The council has identified about 70 private homes in the borough that have been empty for at least 10 years.

"These are not just houses," deputy leader Adrian Andrew said. "They're homes local people could be living in."

He said the council was set to take a "really tough stance... as part of our ambitions to tackle homelessness".

Two-day-old kittens have been found dumped in a carrier bag in Birmingham.

Image source, RSPCA

The four animals were found on Saturday morning in Handsworth by a woman who heard cries coming from a bin. She took them home to warm them by a radiator.

They are now being cared for in Worcester and the RSPCA has launched an investigation to find the "callous" person who dumped them.

The charity says the kittens could have "easily perished".

BBC Radio Stoke

More than £1,200 has been raised to help a woman whose car was damaged in disorder after Port Vale played Stoke City earlier this month.

Gaynor Beresford from Burslem filmed a person jumping on the roof of her car - a man has been arrested and bailed in connection with the damage.

Image source, Gaynor Beresford

She said she was overwhelmed by the efforts of the Port Vale fan who organised the fundraising.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

From Stoke-on-Trent Live:

• 'Dangerous' gang known as 'T2' tags bus stops and signs, external
• Apology after disabled teen with dog ordered to leave market, external
• Motorway reopens after 'serious' multi-vehicle accident, external

BBC Weather Watchers

It's been a grey, damp morning across the West Midlands and the BBC Weather Watchers have been sharing some gloomy photos.

These were taken in Longton and Stourbridge.

Image source, Julian

Image source, Susanne

BBC Radio Stoke Sport

Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland says his future is still with the club, despite splitting from his long-standing, Stoke-on-Trent-based agent.

It's left fans worried the player will leave when the January transfer window opens.

Image source, Getty Images

Butland says relegation from the Premier League is "something that doesn't sit well with me on the CV and I want to be able to put that right with the club".

He said his only focus was "playing well".

The main street through Ironbridge has re-opened after a burst water main closed it for four days.

The Wharfage has two-way traffic lights while repair work continues.

Some shops in the town say the road closure has affected their businesses.

A moped rider is in hospital with serious injuries after being hit by a car last night.

Image source, Google

The crash happened on Longford Road in Coventry at about 22:10.

An air ambulance was sent to the scene where the man was given specialist trauma care by paramedics.

The driver of the car was unhurt.

Former Shrewsbury and Macclesfield boss John Askey would be interested in the vacant manager's job at Wrexham.

A woman has been shot in Solihull.

Image source, Google

West Midlands Police said officers were called to a house on Doverhouse Lane at about 08:50.

The woman, who was shot in the shoulder, has been taken to hospital in a serious condition.

Police say no one has been arrested but believe the shooting to be an isolated incident.

"Our main priority is the safety and security of the public," a force spokesperson said.

"Specialist officers are in the area and local schools have been advised accordingly."

Rob Mayor
Political reporter, BBC WM

Police trying to understand teenagers during operations have been using urbandictionary.com to help them translate slang.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Dave Thompson, chief constable of the West Midlands force, said deciphering the terminology was "relevant in overt and covert settings".

While officers have not received any formal training, Mr Thompson said there had been an effort to understand expressions such as "peng’ (attractive), "FOMO" (fear of missing out) and "TUN UP" (excited).

"Certainly if you have teenagers, that helps," Mr Thompson said.

Think you know your slang? Put yourself to the test.

Russell Hotten
BBC Business Reporter

Jaguar Land Rover has dismissed reports that 5,000 jobs will be cut in the new year as "media speculation".

The car manufacturer has not confirmed the claims first published by the Financial Times, external, but has not denied them either.

Signs of trouble have been brewing all year.

Image source, Getty Images

Two hundred job cuts at the Solihull plant were reported at the end of November, along with a "pause" in production at the Wolverhampton engine manufacturing centre.

In addition, the firm's Solihull plant had a two-week shutdown due to "fluctuating demand". That followed a move to a three-day week at JLR's Castle Bromwich plant.

Experts say JLR is caught in a "perfect storm" - the threat of a no-deal Brexit, slowing growth in China and a fall in diesel sales.

Read the full story here.

A mother says grammar school plans to take in more students from inner city Birmingham are "creating division".

Image source, Google

Kaja Fathrop's son attends King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys - part of the King Edward state grammar schools group.

She says it's unfair some children will get in on merit under the plans, whereas others will get in "based on location".

She has set up a petition against the move, which has been signed by more than 3,000 people.

The group's executive director Heath Monk says children from disadvantaged areas "make just as much progress... they may just have had a more difficult start in their education".

A consultation exercise on the proposals, external is running until January.