Defender Scott Laird returns for a second spell at Walsall as they sign him on loan from Forest Green Rovers.

Darren Barnes is sentenced after Edwin Bradley's body was found under furniture in his flat.

A 53-year-old man has appeared before Kidderminster magistrates charged with the murder of a woman at her home in Droitwich.

Police say they were called to Calverton Court on Monday night and found the body of 51-year-old Amy Griffiths.

Image source, Google

Martin Saberi, from Wallington in Surrey, will appear before Worcester Crown Court on Friday.

A ban on naming Joeking Kyerah was lifted when he went missing amid family court proceedings.

A former police officer, who had responsibility for schools and colleges, has admitted making indecent images of a teenage girl.

Paul Davies, 57, from Dudley, had worked as a young persons' officer for West Midlands Police. He pleaded guilty to one charge relating to five images at Walsall Magistrates' Court.

Image source, Google

The case has been adjourned until 7 February.

West Midlands Police said Davies left the force last June, having been arrested in May.

Birmingham's children's social care services was rated "inadequate" for 10 years after a number of child deaths.

Broseley has been urged to give up its bid to switch local authorities.

Town mayor Michael Burton said he wanted the town to switch from Shropshire's jurisdiction to Telford and Wrekin's in a row over funding.

Image source, Google

Ludlow MP Phillip Dunne said the switch would require a review and a recommendation from the Boundary Commission and is advising the town council to work with Shropshire Council instead.

Former New Zealand prop Jeff Toomaga-Allen is to join Wasps next season from Super Rugby's Hurricanes.

Phil Mackie
Midlands correspondent, BBC News

Birmingham's Children's Services has improved after several years of being rated inadequate.

It's been upgraded to "requires improvement to be good."

The service was first served with an improvement notice by the government in 2009, following the deaths of Toni-Ann Byfield and Khyra Ishaq.

Image source, West Midlands Police handout

There are still lots of improvements which can be made, and the Birmingham Children’s Trust’s chief executive, Andy Couldrick has only cautiously described it as a “solid base”, but make no mistake this is a really significant piece of good news for Birmingham.

I have been looking at these reports for ten years and each one has made miserable reading.

There has always been litany of criticisms and failures, but today there is real cause for optimism. The appointment of the Children’s Trust has been the catalyst, but there has been dogged work by the city council too.

Coventry Observer

Some of today's headlines in the Coventry Observer are:

• Crime chief slams insurance-based burglary figures as 'headline-grabbing data', external
• Mum reveals moment machete-wielding car-jackers ambushed family, external
• MP calls on council to 'ensure survival' of Citizens Advice after funding axe, external

BBC Radio Shropshire Sport

Shrewsbury Town's new signing Dave Edwards will miss the trip to Blackpool, after coming on for 12 minutes as a substitute against Charlton last weekend.

The 32-year-old has been struggling with a slight groin strain and has said he wants to get back to full fitness, to do himself justice on the pitch.

Image source, Getty Images

Captain Mat Sadler has been very impressed by Edwards, who returned to his hometown club last week.

"You don't have a career like that without having a real professionalism, ruthlessness and desire to continually put yourself out there and play well," he said.

"He'll want to be really remembered and revered this time around for how fit and strong and athletic he is."

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Davis

A call for the government to tackle poverty in the UK, by taking steps such as ending the five-week wait for Universal Credit, will be made by the city council in Coventry.

Labour councillor Kindy Sandhu, who led the motion at full council this week, said the government is in “denial” that poverty exists across the country.

One fifth of people live in poverty, foodbanks are being used to feed children and families, and lower government funding is putting council services at risk, she said.

Last week the government performed a U-turn over the system after the work and pensions secretary ditched plans to extend a benefits cap on families of more than two children.

The government has previously said: "There are now one million fewer people living in absolute poverty since 2010, including 300,000 children".

Birmingham Live

These are some of the Birmingham Live headlines today:

• Ex-policeman dubbed 'kids champion' to face indecent images charge, external
• Jail for burglar who pretended to be gardener to target pensioners, external
• Woman 'seriously injured' after being hit by car on Tyburn Road, external

Organisers of a competition to create a flag for Herefordshire, external say they're looking for "the most striking, appropriate and beautiful image" to raise the profile of the county.

Herefordshire is one of only three historic counties in England to have no official flag registered with the Flag Institute.

Image source, Janiejane13

The closing date for entries is 15 April and judges, the public, will then be asked to pick the winning entry from a shortlist.

Only people living in the Herefordshire Council area are eligible to vote and organisers are advising entrants to keep their designs simple., external

A woman suffered serious injuries when struck by a car in Sutton Coldfield.

Crews were called to Tyburn Road, outside the Buffet Island restaurant, at 08:30, the ambulance service said.

She's been taken to hospital.

BBC News Travel

A fault with the signaling system is blocking some rail lines between Aston and Lichfield Trent Valley.

Services through the stations are likely to be cancelled, delayed or revised.

BBC Hereford and Worcester

Worcester Warriors Jack Singleton (pictured below) and Ben Te’o are included in England’s 35-man squad but youngster Ted Hill has missed out.

England begin preparations for the opening Six Nations match against Ireland in Dublin next month and Singleton is one of four uncapped players in the squad.

Image source, Getty Images

They fly out to a training camp in Portugal next week, but co-captain Dylan Hartley has been left out because of a knee injury.

There was a smattering of snow in some areas earlier as captured here by the BBC Weather Watchers.

Image source, Littleacorns

Image source, Foggy

Image source, Liam Ball

BBC Business News

Patisserie Holdings, owner of cafe chain Patisserie Valerie, has announced the resignation of deputy chairman Lee Ginsberg.

Image source, Reuters

In a short statement the company thanked him for his service.

The Birmingham-based company earlier said an accounting scandal, originally revealed in October, was worse than it thought.

Mr Ginsberg's departure is not linked to that and is so he can focus on other commitments.

A "merciless" thief, who lied his way into the homes of elderly, vulnerable victims, has been jailed for six years.

Image source, West Midlands Police

John McDonald, 44, of Booth Street, Blakenhall, claimed to work as a council gardener to gain access to the homes, stealing thousands of pounds in cash.

One one occasion he went inside an 85-year-old woman’s home in Quarry Bank, under the guise of being sent to repair fencing, but then snatched £3,000 in cash from a drawer when his victim's back was turned, West Midlands Police said.

After admitting two counts of burglary, he was jailed at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Wednesday.

Det Con Sean Lowe, described McDonald as a “merciless” thief who thought nothing of preying on elderly, vulnerable victims.