The three blocks in Rounds Gardens, Rugby, will be replaced with 221 new homes by March 2022.

A union accuses Birmingham City Council of understaffing refuse trucks amid the long-running dispute.

BBC News England

Gun crime in four English counties was at its highest for a decade in 2017-18.

Cheshire, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire police handled more incidents than in any year since 2007-08.

Cheshire recorded 81 offences, a rise of 14% on the previous year.

Overall gun crime in England and Wales is lower than 10 years ago, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, external.

A man has been charged with drug and vehicle offences after being arrested in Nuneaton.

Police seized suspected crack cocaine as well as a knife, after stopping what's believed to be a stolen car in the town.

The 23-year-old was charged with possession of a knife in a public place, driving without insurance, driving without a licence and theft of a motor vehicle, said Warwickshire Police. , external

He was also charged with possession of crack cocaine with intent to supply and two counts of theft of a motor vehicle in connections with offences in Nuneaton last year.

John Bray
BBC News

The strongest winds recorded in the West Midlands region last night were 50mph.

Workers were clearing up the debris this morning after a tree was ripped from its roots at the junction between Shirley Road and Botteville Road in Acocks Green, Birmingham.

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

A clear evening and start to the night although that is set to change, here's the full weather forecast for tonight and tomorrow:

You can get a latest forecast for your area at any other time by heading to the BBC Weather website.

BBC Shropshire

People living in a village who say they have poor internet speeds have told BBC Shropshire that new equipment which would improve speeds isn't up and running, a year after being installed.

Residents in Stanwardine, near Baschurch, Shropshire, say speeds are so slow that online banking is a problem and it's difficult to run businesses from home.

They say a fibre broadband cabinet was put in place a year ago but still hasn't been switched on.

OpenReach says it blames the delay on the local electricity company and discussions with a landowner, who they haven't named.

But Scottish Power says the delay is due to discussions between that landowner and a third party, not them and they can't start work until those two parties reach an agreement.

Parents have called for an LGBT rights and equality programme to be scrapped for young children at a school in Birmingham.

Some parents of pupils at Parkfield Community School in Birmingham have been protesting outside the school today.

A petition has been signed by more than 400 people and states: "People whose religious convictions are that practicing homesexuality is morally wrong and sinful should not be forced to affirm that it is not."

One parent told the BBC: "If they don't know about it then they won't want to try it, so I just don't want them to learn that yet - the whole knowing what a gay person is".

The "No Outsiders" programme is aimed at educating children so they were able to accept differences in society, said the school.

Assistant head teacher Andrew Moffet told Radio Four's World at One it was a "difficult time for the school, but we carry on as normal".

"No Outsiders is really about preparing children for life in modern Britain," he said.

"Preparing children to work alongside and live alongside anybody regardless of whether you have black skin, brown skin or white skin; If you're Hindu, Christian, Muslim or Sikh, or no religion; If you're gay or lesbian or have disabilities."

"We use the Equalities Act as a foundation, and it's an age-appropriate scheme for primary schools that teaches children 'you know what the great thing about living in Britain is we're different, but we get along'".

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust has launched an investigation into the deaths.

Shropshire's Accident and Emergency units have seen a big rise in the number of patients, the hospital trust has said.

On one Sunday last month Telford's Princess Royal Hospital saw 96 ambulances visit its A&E, almost twice expected rate, the hospital trust board was told.

A board meeting this afternoon heard that while last year was "one of the most challenging in a decade", this year has so far seen an increase in patients, with, at times, an ambulance about every 10 minutes.

A new £3m ward is opening at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital today, designed to help ease winter pressures.

In December, Shropshire's A&Es were ranked 130th out of 131 trusts in England when measured against the government's target of 95% patients being treated within four hours.

The shop in Sparkhill is one of many across the country struggling to obtain many common drugs

BBC Business News

Jaguar Land Rover, which has seen a £3.1bn reduction in the value of its plants and other investments leading to a £3.4bn quarterly loss, says its performance has continued to be affected by challenging conditions in China.

Image source, Getty Images

The Coventry-based car maker, which is owned by India's Tata Motors, has embarked on a major restructuring programme to prepare for the future and boost profitability.

It has already announced plans to cut thousands of jobs.

It has now accepted that the value of its existing investments - such as factories, equipment and model designs - is substantially lower than previously thought, said BBC business correspondent Theo Leggett.

Excluding the write-down, which affects its balance sheet but has no effect on cash, the company posted a loss of £273m.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

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

• Jail for thug who left ex half-naked after dragging her across pub floor, external
• 'Horrified' student finds condom wrapper stuck to new skirt, external
• School bosses named and shamed by government over 'excessive' pay, external

A man has been arrested on suspicion of aggravated theft and dangerous driving following a police pursuit which ended in a two-vehicle crash in Washwood Heath Road, Birmingham.

Image source, Dr Iqtidar Cheema

The 20-year-old driver of a VW Golf, which was spotted driving erratically, has been taken into police custody, officers said.

Two men in a Honda, which was involved in the crash, were taken to hospital after the incident which happened just at 09:30.

The incident has been referred to the force's Professional Standards Department and the Independent Office for Police Conduct watchdog..

Protesters have campaigned against the introduction of LGBT rights teachings at a Birmingham school.

A report says a prison where inmates had said they were 'living in fear' has significantly improved.

BBC Shropshire

Stables at Ludlow Racecourse are being scrubbed with disinfectant after three horses infected with equine flu raced at the Shropshire venue.

Image source, Google

British Horseracing Authority cancelled all horse racing meetings in the country today after the outbreak came to light.

Horses from the infected yard raced on Wednesday, including in Shropshire, potentially exposing a significant number of horses.

The affected animals had been vaccinated and are reported to be from the Cheshire stables of Donald McCain, external

Officials in Ludlow say they've been told to carry out the cleaning as a precaution.

Tom Edwards
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

A man accused of plotting an acid attack on his three-year-old son to try to paint the boy's mother as "unfit" has told a jury he was "never" involved and was "shocked" to be arrested.

The boy's face and arm were burned when he was squirted with sulphuric acid at a Home Bargains store in Worcester.

Image source, SWNS

Prosecutors said the father, 40, enlisted others in a bid to "manufacture" evidence to discredit his estranged wife.

But giving evidence in his defence for the first time today at Worcester Crown Court, he said he only found out about the attack when he was arrested at his Wolverhampton home.

Asked about his feelings on being detained, he told the jury he was "very shocked".

The father, who cannot be named for legal reasons is accused alongside Adam Cech, 27, of Farnham Road, Jan Dudi, 25, of Cranbrook Road and Martina Badiova, 22, of Newcombe Road, Handsworth all of Birmingham; Norbert Pulko, 22, of Sutherland Road and Saied Hussini, 41, of Wrottesley Road, both in London and Jabar Paktia, 41, of Newhampton Road, Wolverhampton.

They all deny conspiring to commit grievous bodily harm.

The trial continues.

A funeral is being held today for Police and Community Support Officer Holly Burke, who was killed when her car was hit by a vehicle being pursued by police in Birmingham.

The 28-year-old, who was off duty at the time, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash in Lordswood Road in January.

Darren Ogom, 42, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and next due to appear in court on 21 February.

A "suspicious package" found in Stoke-on-Trent, which prompted a police cordon, has been found to be a type of firework, officers say.

Part of Knight Street in Tunstall was closed to allow staff from the Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit to inspect the package said Staffordshire Police.

A controlled explosion wasn't necessary, officers say, and the cordon has now been lifted.