Allen Cook
BBC News

A teenage boy who died at the weekend was "popular, funny, hardworking and much loved", his family said today., external

Image source, Staffordshire Police

Tom Lee, 17, was taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital after emergency services were called to Berrisford Road, Peatswood, Market Drayton late on Friday night. , external

Staffordshire Police says his death is still being treated as unexplained and a post-mortem examination is due to take place.

Officers have arrested an 18-year-old man from Market Drayton and released him on bail.

Four teenagers, also all from the town, were also assisting with inquiries and have been released under investigation, police said.

BBC Music

Jorja Smith won best female solo artist at the Brit Awards last night and dedicated her win to all girls and women who are "loving everything they do".

Image source, PA

Nominated for three awards, the 21-year-old Walsall singer, who dazzled with her 2018 debut album, Lost & Found, also performed at the event.

Another winner at the Brits was singer-songwriter Tom Walker from Cheshire, whose music was first played on BBC Introducing from Stoke.

The 27-year-old was named British breakthrough act and he thanked his nan in his speech.

BBC News Education

A Birmingham assistant head at the centre of a row over lessons on LGBT rights and homophobia has been named in the top 10 shortlist for a global teaching prize.

Parkfield Community School assistant head teacher Andrew Moffat is in the running for the $1m (£770,000) prize.

He has faced protests from some Muslim parents at the primary school.

The shortlist was announced by X-Men actor Hugh Jackman, who said teachers were the "real superheroes".

Birmingham Live

The Birmingham Live website's covering these stories today:

• Teenager stabbed to death as second 16-year-old killed in a week, external
• Police flood crime-hit Dale End after woman injured following 'disorder', external
• Family with postbox in middle of drive say: 'We've improved the area', external

BBC Business News

Shares in online estate agency Purple Bricks have plummeted by more than 38%.

The Solihull-based firm has said Lee Wainwright, its UK chief executive, and Eric Eckardt, its US chief executive, are leaving the business.

Image source, Purplebricks

Mr Wainwright has been with the company for two years and is leaving for "personal reasons" Purplebricks said in a statement.

It added: "Lee played an important role in helping Purplebricks become the UK's largest estate agent."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Staffordshire police officers have complained of being stressed, sick and over-worked in a survey produced by the Police Federation.

Nearly a fifth of its officers responded to the study and 83% said they had experienced feelings of stress, low mood, anxiety, or other difficulties with their health and well-being over the last 12 months.

Image source, Staffordshire Police

More than half of those who responded said they were unable to take all their leave and blamed a fall in officer numbers for their problems.

On average they scored their job satisfaction as four out of 10.

Chief Constable Gareth Morgan said a decision to increase the police precept, part of council tax, by 12% was "very welcome" and would allow the force to invest in proactive measures.

Allen Cook
BBC News

The death of a 16-year-old boy in Birmingham last night is the fourth stabbing in just over a week in the West Midlands, leaving two people dead.

Since 13 February, West Midlands Police says it has investigated:

• 13 February - Mohammed Sidali, 16, fatally stabbed outside Joseph Chamberlain College, in Highgate, Birmingham
• 17 February - 16-year-old boy stabbed in the stomach on Oxford Road, Smethwick
• 17 February - man in his 20s stabbed near Holliday Street in Birmingham
• 20 February - 16-year-old boy dies after being found with stab wounds on Herbert Road, Small Heath

Also on 13 February, the force launched a murder inquiry after the death of Patrick Hill, 22, three days after being stabbed in Coventry.

West Midlands Police saw a 72% rise in knife crime between April 2013 and the year ending March 2018,Office for National Statistics (ONS) analysis shows, external.

In January, the force said officers were being given metal-detecting "knife wands" in an attempt to tackle the rise.

BBC WM

Talks between a trade union and Birmingham City Council are due to resume today in a bid to resolve the ongoing dispute with bin workers.

Last week, a meeting at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) broke down within minutes.

On Tuesday, more than 300 refuse workers picketed at four depots over claims staff were "blacklisted" for striking in 2017 - denied by the council.

The local authority said it believed the industrial action to be illegal and would take its case to the High Court in a bid to stop the strike, which is costing up to £350,000 each week.

A teenager's been stabbed to death in Birmingham.

A murder investigation has been launched after the 16-year-old was found last night critically injured on Herbert Road, Small Heath, and died at the scene.

Image source, Google

West Midlands Police adds that a 15-year-old boy was also attacked and suffered minor injuries.

The street has been cordoned off to allow forensics officers to search the scene.

Det Ch Insp Edward Foster said the investigation was in its early stages and called for anyone who was in the area around 20:00 to get in touch.

Express and Star

A few of the early headlines from the Express and Star:

• Almost one hate crime reported every day in Dudley, external
• Toxic waste business facing £2m costs to move over homes row, external
• Available burial space vanishing across Sandwell prompting review, external

BBC Sport

Briton Dan Evans surged into the Delray Beach Open quarter-finals in Florida with an emphatic 6-0 6-2 win against South African wildcard Lloyd Harris.

Image source, Getty Images

Birmingham-born Evans, 28, a qualifier in this event, won the first nine games and secured a comfortable victory in an hour and eight minutes.

The British number three, who beat defending champion Frances Tiafoe in the previous round, faces Italian Andreas Seppi next.

Allen Cook
BBC News

A serious stabbing is being investigated by police in the centre of Birmingham.

West Midlands Police tweeted at 21:15 last night to say it had happened in the Small Heath, external area and said more details would follow.

The Birmingham Live website's reporting that Sara Park off Herbert Road's been sealed off., external

BBC News Travel

Trains running through Lichfield this morning may be delayed after thieves have stolen signalling cables.

West Midlands Railway says it's happened at Lichfield Trent Valley., external

BBC Politics

The Dudley North Labour MP Ian Austin's told the Express & Star newspaper he would think "long and hard" about his future in the party.

Image source, Labour Party

It comes as both Labour and the Conservatives are being warned they could face more resignations, with members of the new Independent Group saying they expect more MPs to join them.

Ex-Tory MP Heidi Allen told ITV's Peston programme "a third" of Tory MPs were fed up with the party's direction.

Speaking to the Express and Star,, external Mr Austin said he was thinking of quitting his party over its culture of "extremism, anti-Semitism and intolerance".

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said he would not change direction in response to the defections, but repeated that tackling anti-Semitism was a priority for him.

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

Any overnight rain in parts of the West Midlands should quickly clear this morning to leave a mainly dry day - here's the full weather forecast for Thursday:

You can find an up-to-date forecast for your part of the region at any other time by heading to the BBC Weather website.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Thursday.

We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather for the West Midlands.

We love to hear from you so share your news, thoughts and photos of the area with us via email, Twitter, external and Facebook, external.

Ofsted's chief inspector responds to protests against LGBT lessons at a school in Birmingham.

Harlequins hooker Max Crumpton is banned for three weeks after admitting to "punching or striking" Worcester's GJ van Velze.

Timothy Lively denies sexually assaulting children and young adults in the 1970s and 1980s.

Lawyers for Bernard Rebelo said he should not have faced two manslaughter charges over one death.