Primary school children regularly visit older people at a care home to sing and dance with them.

Officers were diverted to cover funeral transport for an IRA bomber, whose body was flown to Dublin.

Rebecca Wood
BBC Midlands Today

It will remain cloudy this evening and overnight with some showers and patchy rain with lows of 5C (41F).

Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC WM

The Birmingham pub bombings inquests jury has heard from its first witness who has described the "screaming" and "pandemonium" following a bomb.

On 21 November 1974, 21 people were killed by bombs in two Birmingham pubs.

Image source, PA

David Grafton, who was in the Tavern in the Town pub with friend John, told the court he remembered seeing a flashing light, and hearing a boom, "and next thing I know I’m lying on the floor".

He said there was "not a sound" at first, before "screaming and pandemonium" started.

"Then the noise of panic, of screaming in pain, the whole room was chaos."

He described the sound of people crying for help and then later "people lying on the floor with limbs missing".

"I thought John was under the rubble and I was trying to get to him," he said, but then "someone said get out there might be another bomb".

He was eventually able to get away from the scene and was reunited with his friend, the court heard.

The inquests are expected to last six weeks.

The family of a man shot dead by police say they will continue in their efforts to "uncover the truth" surrounding his death.

Image source, Family handout

Sean Fitzgerald, 31, was hit when he fled from the rear of a Coventry house as police entered through the front on 4 January, police investigators said.

A police officer who shot dead the unarmed man during a planned operation is being investigated.

In a statement, released on the eve of his funeral, the family said it was "devastated that we are laying Sean to rest in these circumstances".

Two Shropshire towns are going to have parking machines which accept coins installed, after complaints from people unhappy that they could only pay using a mobile phone.

As part of a big parking shake-up in the county, the authority switched to mobile payments in the Spar Bridge car park in Ellesmere and the Mill Street car park in Wem, starting in January.

The council said it decided to reintroduce the the coin machines after a "large number of questions, comments and complaints".

A third car park, Leek Street in Wem, will accept tickets from the coin machine on High Street.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Dare

A council leader who referred to charity shops as "endemic" and suggested they be turned into something more "meaningful" has been told to "get on board".

Image source, Google

Councillor Mike Bird, leader of Walsall Council made the comments during a recent meeting of the Housing and Land Board, where an item on the future of town centres was being discussed.

The Charity Retail Association, a trade association that represents charity shops, believes that such shops should not be seen as a "disease" to the high street, but rather as part of the cure.

“Every charity shop we represent brings huge environmental and community benefits," it said.

Port Vale fans will meet tonight to discuss the future of their campaign to persuade the club's owner to sell up.

Supporters protested against Norman Smurthwaite before their home game with Morecambe two weeks ago.

Image source, Getty Images

They say a lack of investment on and off the pitch threatens the team's Football League status.

Coventry Observer

Some of the Coventry Observer headlines today include:

• Council dismisses call for housing plan review, external
• Family of Sean Fitzgerald issues statement ahead of funeral, external
• Teacher repeatedly locked autistic youngster in empty classroom, external

A 16-year-old boy has appeared in court charged with murder after a teenager was fatally stabbed in the street.

Image source, Family Handout

Hazrat Umar, 18, was found badly injured in Norwood Road in Bordesley Green, Birmingham, at about 14:00 on Monday. He died at the scene.

His alleged killer, a 16-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, was remanded in custody at Birmingham Magistrates' Court.

He's next due to appear at the city's crown court on Monday.

Shropshire rower Kelda Wood said her Atlantic crossing had been a challenge every day but that she felt "remarkably good" physically.

She said she'd only been able to sleep for a couple of hours after the crossing because she had to talk to people and prepare her ship for transport and added "it's sort of been a bit mad".

Image source, Atlantic Challenge/Ted Martin

Ms Wood says she now wants to use the publicity she'd gained from becoming the first solo Atlantic adaptive rower to boost awareness of her charity Climbing Out, external.

It runs outdoor activity programmes for people aged 16-30 aimed at rebuilding confidence and self esteem in those who have been through "a life changing injury, illness or trauma".

The 45-year-old herself suffered a severe leg injury in a farming accident in 2002 that left her with a fused ankle.

She said she was also looking forward to getting home and seeing her dogs again.

Carlton Donaldson will serve at least 23 years after Daniel Baird was stabbed to death in Birmingham.

A former boiler maker sees a locomotive he helped build in 1950 brought back into steam.

The jury at the inquest into the death of a Liverpool pensioner, after staying at a Ludlow hotel, has concluded she died as a direct result of contracting Legionnaire's disease there.

It took them less than half an hour to decide that Elaine Brown contracted legionella pneumonia during her stay at the Feathers Hotel in July 2017 and that this infection contributed to a stroke that killed her the following month.

Image source, Irwin Mitchellk

Mrs Brown's son, Neil Edwards, said the conclusion had been a "big sense of relief" for the family, but that he was sad his children wouldn't grow up knowing her.

Hereford Times

These are among the headlines from the Hereford Times today:

• Firefighters called to factory blaze, external
• Fears raised over rats above pizza restaurant, external
• Businessman will choose his day to die, external

BBC Shropshire

Suggestions that a cinema, restaurants and maybe a gym could be added to Shrewsbury's Pride Hill shopping centre have been causing some debate on the BBC Radio Shropshire Facebook page., external

The town's three shopping centres were bought by Shropshire Council 12 months ago and it's leader, Peter Nutting, believes a major makeover could bring more people into the town.

Commenting on Facebook, Maggie Brown wrote: "I would definitely like a decent modern cinema. Not sure we need more restaurants or gyms."

But people also had their own suggestions and Francesca Vernon-Free wrote: "Why would we want those? Decent small business shops-a butchers, a greengrocers, a bakers, hardware store, etc etc. Give small businesses a chance!"

And Vicki Whittingham added: "I would rather have free parking."

Police say they've been working with fans of Birmingham City and Aston Villa, as well the two clubs, ahead of the second city derby on 10 March.

A number of roads surrounding St Andrew's will be closed on match day and supporter have been told there will be a "visible police presence in and around the ground".

Image source, Getty Images

West Midlands police say their plans for the game are based on lessons learnt from previous derby matches.

People say "intense" heat from the blaze at a tyre plant in Birmingham damaged nearby homes.

Coventry Live

Some of the Coventry Live headlines today are:

• Coventry IRA bomber's funeral left Birmingham short of police, external
• Joy as killers 'will be stuck in prison, external'
• 'Dumb criminal' rumbled trying to spend stolen money at casino, external

The Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent North has told Parliament people in the city are "upset" that Gordon Banks didn't get a knighthood in his lifetime.

Ruth Smeeth suggested a debate on the issue of posthumous knighthoods and the leader of the house, Andrea Leadsom replied, suggesting she takes that idea forward.

Image source, Getty Images

The world-cup winning goalkeeper will be laid to rest on Monday, with his funeral being held at Stoke Minster.