Allen Cook
BBC News

Racecourses across the West Midlands are waiting to hear when horse racing will be allowed to resume, following an outbreak of equine flu.

Image source, Google

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) says it won't resume until Wednesday, 13 February at the earliest after three vaccinated horses tested positive for the disease.

Trainer Donald McCain has confirmed the horses came from his Cheshire stables.

Officials at courses in the region, including Hereford, Uttoxeter, Warwick and Wolverhampton, have all cancelled racing events over the next few days.

The BHA's chief executive Nick Rust has said he expects the shut-down to last no longer then "a few weeks at most".

Coventry Live

Some of the headlining stories on the Coventry Live site today are:

• Child seriously injured in collision with bus, external
• 'Someone knows the truth': Cov police chief on city shootings, external

• Carer killed in collision with car had 'huge personality', external

BBC News Travel

Good news for train passengers travelling between Stafford and Wolverhampton.

Aston Villa can move to within one point of the Championship play-off places tonight.

They take on third placed Sheffield United at Villa Park looking for only their third win in the last 12 matches.

Image source, Getty Images

After winning their first three home games under Dean Smith, Villa have won just once in six since at Villa Park - the 2-1 victory last time out against bottom club, Ipswich.

Smith's Villa side start the night in ninth, four points off a play-off place, but 11 points behind the third-placed Blades.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl Jackson

Plans have been unveiled for a major development in the Digbeth area of Birmingham which would deliver 480 homes, a hotel, and its own mini power station.

Image source, Eutopia Land

Eutopia Land has submitted proposals to Birmingham City Council to build on a 4.2-acre site at Camp Hill currently occupied by engineering firm Sulzer.

The scheme features seven blocks, six of which would provide housing and the tallest being a 26-storey tower.

There would also be a dozen town houses built, along with a 167-room hotel.

The application states the complex would also include its own gas-powered "energy centre", to "provide for combined heat and power", because there are no existing heat networks to the site.

A new date has been added to the tour by Coventry band The Specials after their 40th anniversary gigs at the city's cathedral sold out in less than an hour today.

A new album by the band, Encore, could top the album chart later today.

BBC News

A photographer from Shropshire's been commended for his picture of a bumblebee in an international competition.

Image source, Andrew Peters

The winner of this year's International Garden Photographer of the Year Competition has been announced from among 19,000 entrants from more than 50 countries.

While he didn't win, Andrew Peters was commended in the Wildlife in the Garden category, external for his photo of a bee.

A 14-year-old girl, hit and seriously injured by a bus in Coventry, was on a bike at the time, police say.

The out-of-service vehicle struck the cyclist just before 18:30 on Stoney Stanton Road in Foleshill, said West Midlands Police.

She remains in hospital with a serious head injury, it said.

The bus driver is helping police with inquiries.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

The Stoke-on-Trent Live website is covering these stories today:

• Veteran Stoke-on-Trent councillor faces disciplinary hearing over alleged 'racist' remarks, external
• Police await test results after man dies three days after being 'attacked' in town centre, external
• Homeless man charged with assault days before he was found dead in Hanley, external

A Met Office weather warning for strong winds tonight and tomorrow has been extended to now include parts of the West Midlands., external

Image source, Met Office

Storm Erik is expected to move across the country from the Atlantic and the alert starts from 00:15 on Saturday morning until 15:00 later in the day.

The Met Office says there's potential for disruption with "delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport" likely.

The British Horseracing Authority announces that horse racing will not resume in Britain until Wednesday, 13 February after an outbreak of equine flu.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Council tax payers in Warwickshire are going to have to pay more money from April after a 5% increase was agreed at Shire Hall.

The controlling Conservative group saw their budget approved at Thursday's full council meeting with amendments from the Greens and Labour being dismissed.

Image source, Google

The budget is the final part of a three-year cost-cutting plan agreed in 2017, which aimed to make savings of £67m, 90% of which has already been achieved, the council said.

Deputy council leader Peter Butlin said the aim was to make investments in a bid to "to grow the economy and to look after the most vulnerable in our communities".

Opposition Labour group leader Richard Chattaway said people were being asked "to pay more money and more council tax for less services".

Rare, brightly coloured mushrooms will be protected with the declaration of a beauty spot as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a council says., external

Image source, Dudley Borough Council

Dudley Borough Council says Natural England has made the decision over the Leasowes in Halesowen, a 63-hectare nature reserve owned by the local authority.

It's also home to 28 species of waxcap mushrooms which the council says makes it the fourth richest grassland in England for such fungi.

David Schaffer
BBC News

It is less than two years since Saffiyah Khan's calm smile, inches from the face of an English Defence League activist, made global headlines.

But perhaps what is less known about that image is that from a different angle Khan can be clearly seen wearing a Specials T-shirt. Within hours the band had offered her tickets to one of their gigs.

Image source, PA

But that has become a distant footnote to the story. She now appears on The Specials' new album, Encore, with Ten Commandments - a personal riposte she penned based on a track by one of the forefathers of ska, Prince Buster.

The album beat Busted in the midweek charts, and could be named number one when the official chart is announced later today.

Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

New Stoke City striker Sam Vokes says the team has to focus on themselves not on their next opponents, West Brom.

Vokes is likely to start his first home game since joining from Burnley last week.

Stoke go into the game 12 points behind the Baggies, in the bottom half of the Championship table.

Express and Star

Here are a few of the stories making the early headlines on the Express & Star website:

• Candlelit vigil 'helped bring community together' to honour Stafford fire victims, external
• Wolverhampton Council dumps, external "priceless" organ at landfill site
• Mother's screams, external as baby found 'limp and lifeless'

The government's housing planning system is flawed, public spending watchdog the National Audit Office (NAO) has said.

The government wants 300,000 new homes a year from the mid-2020s onwards.

Image source, PA

The new system saw the number of homes needed in the West Midlands fall by 11% it said.

The Local Government Association (LGA) said the current formula did not take into account the needs of local communities and risked a a "free-for-all" approach to development.

A girl is in hospital with serious injuries after being hit by a bus in Coventry.

Image source, Google

Emergency services were called to Stoney Stanton Road in the city shortly after 18:15 last night.

“She received treatment at the scene," said the ambulance service, "including specialist trauma care, before being transported to Birmingham Children’s Hospital in a serious condition".

Nobody else was injured in the incident, it said.

BBC News Travel

There's five miles of queuing traffic on the M6 northbound in Warwickshire after an earlier crash.

Traffic was held temporarily from Corley Services to J4 for the road to be cleared.

All lanes have now reopened, with delays of about 30 minutes, said Highways England.

BBC News Travel

Rail services between Wolverhampton and Stafford are being delayed by damage to overhead wires, said West Midlands Railway.