Local Democracy Reporting Service

The hope of having an big name store in Coventry's new City Centre South development hasn't been ruled out, but councillors have been told nothing has been agreed yet.

The cabinet member for jobs and regeneration, Jim O'Boyle, said he'd met representatives of one store on three occasions, but he explained companies had been "cautious" about investing.

Image source, Coventry City Council

The development could also include a street food market similar to Digbeth Dining Club

And while a council report warned failure to bring a name in “will have a direct impact” on the scheme’s success, Mr O’Boyle said the project “is not in jeopardy”.

Hereford Times

Here are three headlines from the Hereford Times today:

• Woman cut free from overturned car, external
• Hereford film director impresses critic, external
• Helicopters hunt stolen van, external

BBC Shropshire

The League against Cruel Sports is calling for Shropshire hunts to cancel future meets after four horses were diagnosed with equine flu following an event in the county on 9 February.

Since then, other horses, who were also at the meet, have tested positive for the virus, according to the Animal Health Trust.

The vets charity, which carried out the inspections, wouldn't say which hunt was involved.

The League against Cruel Sports said it would be shameful and irresponsible if hunts were out again this week given the risks.

So far this year, there have been 29 equine flu outbreaks across 17 counties in England and Scotland.

Horse racing was suspended for six days, between 8 and 13 February, in a bid to quarantine affected horses, but hunt meets weren't affected.

The Masters of Foxhounds Association on 8 February advised hunts , externalto "consider the situation in their locality" and that it "may be sensible not to hunt", but said it was not advising hunts to cancel their meets at that time.

Jamie Riddick, an uninsured drink-driver who killed three passengers, has served three of nine years.

Former Walsall chairman Barrie Blower, who was credited with helping save the club in the 1980s, dies aged 78.

BBC Midlands Today

Organisers of a bare-knuckle boxing event in Stoke-on-Trent are defending it after calls that the sport should be outlawed.

Fighters from as far away as Italy are coming to compete in the Bad to the Bone event at the Fenton Manor Sports Complex.

Those behind it say it's the first bare-knuckle fight to be staged in Stoke-on-Trent and is fully licensed, with hundreds of spectators expected.

Brain injury charity Headway says the activity should be banned as it's dangerous and causes damage to fighters' brains.

However, organisers say their fighters are properly organised with doctors on board and their priority is to keep them safe.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Talks between a the Unite union and Birmingham City Council are going to continue to try to end a series of bin strikes.

More than 300 refuse workers picketed at four council depots on Tuesday after six weeks of talks collapsed.

Image source, Getty Images

They were resumed today at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) who this afternoon said there was "sufficient listening and commentary" for Unite to agree to resume on Monday.

However they say the strikes will continue in the meantime.

BBC News Travel

A lorry's overturned at the junction of the M6 and A500 in Cheshire, near Crewe, and is causing delays, police say.

Police were called just before 16:00 and say they expect it to cause congestion although haven't yet said if anyone's been injured., external

Image source, Cheshire Police

Lee Blakeman
BBC Radio Stoke

The son of the World Cup winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks says the many tributes to his father have been a big comfort after his death.

Image source, Getty Images

Banks, who was named Fifa goalkeeper of the year six times and earned 73 caps for England, died at the age of 81 last week.

Tributes poured in after his death with many fans laying scarves, shirts and mementos at his statue at Stoke City's stadium.

Shropshire Star

Three stories from the Shropshire Star today:

• Tributes paid to 'much-loved' teenager found near Market Drayton, external
• Telford brothers behind bars after police chase, external
• £12 million pledge to improve Telford streets, external

BBC WM Sport

West Bromwich Albion boss Darren Moore says he's expecting a tough, difficult game as they try to go past one of their promotion rivals this weekend.

Image source, PA

They're hosting Sheffield United and, if results went the Baggies way, they could be top of the Championship by the end of the weekend.

West Brom go into the match just a point behind their visitors, on a run of three wins and a draw in their last four league games.

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

Two men have been arrested after a 10-man brawl at a working men's club.

Image source, Google

Police say they were called last night to the Bradwell club on Bradwell Lane, Newcastle-under-Lyme.

They've arrested two men from Stoke-on-Trent - a 34-year-old on suspicion of affray and a 28-year-old on suspicion of common assault.

Officers say both are still in custody.

Crewe Alexandra defender Eddie Nolan agrees a new two-year contract with the League Two club.

BBC News UK

All children must learn about same sex couples regardless of their religious background, the head of Ofsted says.

Hundreds of parents protested outside a Birmingham school against it teaching pupils about same sex couples and gender identity.

Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman told the BBC it was crucial children were exposed to differences in society.

Parents of Muslim and Christian faith have held demonstrations outside Parkfield Community School in the Alum Rock area of the city, where children are taught about same sex couples through story books.

Protesters have claimed the lessons, part of the No Outsiders programme, contradict their faith.

But Mrs Spielman said the lessons were "about making sure they [children] know just enough to know that some people prefer not to get married to somebody of the opposite sex and that sometimes there are families that have two mummies or two daddies".

Fresh strikes could be held from spring into early summer if workers vote in favour, Unite says.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Coventry City Council is making a last-ditch plea to Aldi, asking it to keep one of its stores open.

The supermarket chain plans to close its Rosebury Avenue store at the end of March, saying it's not big enough to cope with demand, but thousands have signed a petition, asking for it to remain.

Image source, Google

Aldi said: "We currently have six stores across Coventry, including at the nearby Gallagher Retail Park, which also serves some of the Bell Green community. We are now looking for new larger sites in the city with more parking spaces.”

Dudley News

A few of the stories making the headlines on the Dudley News website today:

• Council leader vows 'Dudley jobs for Dudley people', external
• Meeting called amid woods development fears, external
• Street closed for pipe repairs, external

BBC Radio Shropshire Sport

Shrewsbury Town manager Sam Ricketts says he kept top-scorer Fejiri Okenabirhie on the bench until the 78th minute on Saturday, because he wanted to keep him fresh.

The striker, who joined from Dagenham nine months ago, has 14 goals in all competitions, including two hat-tricks, but hasn't scored since January.

Image source, Getty Images

Ricketts said there were 14 league games left and he wanted Okenabirhie feeling "as good as he can" for those.

An extra hourly train service between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street could have been introduced in December 2018, but train operator West Midlands Trains Ltd was forced to delay its plans, because of the chaos seen last May when timetable changes were introduced elsewhere in the country.

It was one of eight franchises told to wait by the Department for Transport, which said it wanted a "more cautious" approach.

Train timetables are usually changed twice a year, in summer and winter, but last May, what was billed as the biggest ever overhaul of rail timetables led to widespread rail disruption.

LGBT-row teacher on teaching kids about equality