BBC Shropshire

An emergency meeting's going to be held this evening over whether to ask the health secretary to step in over a shake-up of hospital services in Shrosphire.

Last month,clinical commissioners approved the preferred option for the Future Fit reorganisation of hospital services, which will see Telford's A&E downgraded to an urgent care centre.

Image source, SATH

Instead, Shrewsbury will house the main emergency department in Shropshire, as well as the main women and children's unit.

Elective surgery will be centred at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital.

Health bosses said the reorganisation was needed to make sure services were sustainable for the future. It said this option would mean fewer people have to travel further and it provided best value for money.

The decision's proved controversial with residents and Telford & Wrekin Council fighting the idea of downgrading its A&E.

This evening, the local authority will meet to decide if it will formally refer the decision to Health Secretary Matt Hancock on the grounds it would be against the interests of health services in the borough., external

Telford MP Lucy Allen has already asked Mr Hancock to intervene and raised the issue once again during Prime Minister's Questions earlier this month.

Shropshire Star

Here are a few of the stories making the headlines on the Shropshire Star website:

• Shropshire Council says green belt homes are a necessary evil, external
• Extraordinary meeting over future of Telford's health services to be held tonight, external
• Slimming pill dealer guilty of Shrewsbury student's death set to appeal, external

A move to ban cash payment for written-off cars by one of the UK's biggest vehicle salvage auctioneers, has been welcomed by police in the West Midlands. , external

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) David Jamieson has repeatedly called on all sectors of the car industry to do more to combat vehicle crime.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Salvage specialists Synetiq has announced that from 1 March it will stop accepting cash payments from customers and will instead insist on bank transfers.

Police fear criminal gangs are snapping up damaged cars, rated insurance write-offs from salvage auctions, and then stealing high-spec cars to cannibalise them for the parts they need to fix them.

Forcing the sale of salvage vehicles through bank transactions will help close potential loopholes and provide a digital footprint police said.

Mr Jamieson urged other firms in the sector to follow Synetiq's lead.

BBC Weather Watchers

There's a theme today from plenty of our local BBC Weather Watchers - early signs of spring.

These three are from users Laura and Glenn in Delph, Dudley, Deano1972 in Bedworth, Warwickshire and Scout of the Shire in Bromyard, Herefordshire:

Image source, Laura and Glenn

Image source, Deano1972

Image source, Scout of the Shire

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Alex Moore

A council's had a VAT refund to the tune of nearly £2.7m after it says the Treasury wrongly claimed the money.

Image source, Getty Images

The figure emerged in a report to Telford & Wrekin Council's cabinet which said the authority expects to have nearly £8m in hand by the end of the financial year.

Finance chief Ken Clarke's report said the numbers were boosted by a successful claim to HM Revenue & Customs relating to a change in VAT regulations for leisure services.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Six outbreaks of equine flu have now been confirmed in Worcestershire and Shropshire by a veterinary charity., external

The Animal Health Trust says five in Worcestershire involve a total of 19 non-thoroughbred horses confirmed with the disease, 16 on one site.

It adds that it believes the multiple outbreaks are related to the mixing of horses at an event such as a hunt meet.

The charity hasn't yet released any details of the scale of the outbreak in Shropshire, but says it should have more details this evening.

The crisis, which was sparked after horses tested positive at the Cheshire stables of Grand National-winning trainer Donald McCain, saw a six-day shut of horse racing.

BBC Hereford and Worcester

Worcester Warriors' players have to improve their concentration, their director of rugby says, after the side conceded seven tries in a 47-33 loss to Harlequins.

Image source, Getty Images

Worcester claimed a bonus point of their own with five tries from Jack Singleton, Bryce Heem, Josh Adams, Michael Heaney and Tom Howe.

Alan Solomons reckoned they could have got another bonus point if the scoreline was closer, but letting in three tries in 17 minutes left them chasing the game.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

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

• Men jailed after violence flared at city centre bus station, external
• Man seen waving knife near school on Stoke-on-Trent street, external
• Residents forced to pay to withdraw their own money in Stoke-on-Trent town centre, external

A digger was left at the site of a shop targeted by thieves in the early hours of this morning.

Image source, Warwickshire Police

The gang made off with the cash machine after ram-raiding the store in Shipston-on-Stour shortly before 02:45, police said.

Image source, Helen Stanford

A vehicle was found containing the stolen cash machine, said Warwickshire Police, with the thieves unsuccessful in obtaining any money from it.

It is too early to confirm when the store will reopen, a company spokesperson said.

A man is due in court today charged over two Coventry bank robberies in which customers were threatened at knifepoint.

An elderly woman had a knife held to her throat during one robbery, at the Coventry Building Society in the Foleshill on Thursday 14 February before the assailant made off with cash.

Image source, Google

It's also alleged the robber threatened another woman in a Barclays branch in Tile Hill the following day, before fleeing with £4,000.

A 39-year-old man from Foleshill is set to appear at Coventry Magistrates' Court.

A major hoard of Roman coins, dating to AD 68-69, has been found in Warwickshire.

Image source, Warwickshire County Council

Warwickshire Museum Service now needs to raise funds to buy the coins, buried in a ceramic pot more than 1,900 years ago, under the floor of a building.

It's the second find at the site on the Edge Hill, with the hoard now made up of 440 silver denarii coins.

The service has four months to raise £62,000 to acquire the coins, with £3,000 needed to be raised locally.

Image source, Warwickshire County Council

Thieves were left empty-handed, despite ripping a cash machine out of a shop in Warwickshire.

The raid, on the Co-op store in Shipston-on-Stour this morning, left a trail of damage estimated at thousands of pounds.

Image source, Warwickshire Police

However, within an hour police had traced the machine, which was unopened, external.

Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Stoke City defender Tom Edwards has admitted it's frustrating to see the talent in their squad, compared with their position in the Championship.

Image source, Getty Images

The Potters are currently 17th, having been relegated from the Premier League last summer, and have won just one of their last 10 matches.

Their last match saw them take the lead against bottom side Ipswich only for the home side to equalise in injury time.

Bullies were filmed attacking Emma Wharton's daughter before the footage was spread on social media.

Birmingham Live

Some of the Birmingham Live headlines today are:

• Three teens stabbed in five days as knife crime grips Birmingham, external
• Man attacked with screwdriver in street robbery near Arcadian centre, external
• Carjacker drags dad into 'drug den' as he's held hostage, external

Sarah Church captured this extraordinary video of a murmuration of starlings behind her house, near Leominster.

She said it was "an amazing natural event to behold".

Popular theories for murmurations suggest they are a way to confuse and avoid predators; a way to keep warm; or just a massive signpost in the sky for a safe place to roost.

Wolves made it through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 2003, with a tough win at a resilient Bristol City.

After a quiet opening, Ivan Cavaleiro stroked home the only goal with the game's first shot following good work by Matt Doherty down the right.

Bristol City improved markedly after the break and put significant pressure on the Wolves goal, going close through Jay Dasilva and Matty Taylor.

BBC News Travel

There's a 13-mile diversion around Cressage, in Shropshire, this morning, drivers are being warned.

Image source, Shropshire Council

Work to resurface the carriageway started on Sunday and should be finished by Friday, the council said. , external

A diversion route will take traffic via Much Wenlock, Buildwas, Wroxeter and Atcham.

A driver was "incredibly lucky" to escape with only minor injuries after his car became sandwiched between two lorries in Warwickshire.

Image source, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service

Fire crews were called to the scene on the M42 near Coleshill in Warwickshire on Saturday night.

His injuries could have been much worse, had he not been wearing a seat belt, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service tweeted. , external

A man has been arrested after a boy was found with serious stab wound to his stomach.

Officers were called to Oxford Road, Smethwick, just after 16:00 on Sunday, following reports of a stabbing.

The 16-year-old remains in hospital in a serious condition, police said.

His injury is not believed to be life-threatening.

A 40-year-old local man was arrested from a nearby address on suspicion of wounding and he remains in police custody.