Air pollution in Birmingham is killing almost 1,000 people in the city every year, making a proposed clean air zone vital, according to the leader of the city council.

Speaking on the BBC News Channel this morning, Ian Ward said deprived communities and children were most affected, and he said campaigners against the scheme needed "to see the bigger picture".

Mr Ward was speaking in response to the introduction of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in central London today today.

A clean air zone is due to be introduced in Birmingham in January 2020 and will see drivers of high-polluting vehicles having to pay to drive through the city.

"We have to do something to clean up our air going forward, if this is still to be an attractive city in which people want to live," Mr Ward said.

The council predicts Clean Air Zone charges and fines could raise up to £43m in its first year in operation.

Shropshire Star

The Shropshire Star's covering these stories today:

• West Mercia Police catch 15,000 fewer speeding drivers, external
• Traffic jams worse after £2.5m Shrewsbury A5 improvements, external
• Drunk man 'crossed the line' during incident with axe, external

A rail operator says it's on course in its plans to run electric trains services on the Chase Line in the West Midlands from next month.

Image source, West Midlands Railway

Network Rail started a £100m scheme in 2013 to electrify the 15 miles of railway between Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley.

At the time, it said the aim was to reduce carbon emissions and cut the cost of running the railway. , external

West Midlands Railway says it ran a successful test run yesterday on the line, external and, following more tests, will bring in the electric passenger services in May.

Police are investigating a woman's death and say they're trying to work out why her car crashed into a hedge. , external

The woman, who was driving, died in the collision on Friday on Wem Road, between Shrewsbury and Wem.

Image source, Google

Lesley Elder claimed she was in constant pain but was seen at her daughter's hen party in Ibiza.

Keelan Wilson, 15, was fatally wounded after a group fight in Wolverhampton in May last year.

Moving "road closed" signs on to a main road in Herefordshire was "potentially dangerous", a council says., external

Image source, Herefordshire Council

Herefordshire Council says the boards were on Haywood Lane, Hereford, and on Saturday night someone moved them so they were across the A465.

The authority says the signs were put back early on Sunday morning and West Mercia Police are investigating.

Two men have been arrested after officers were called to reports of a car being smashed up in Coventry.

Officers were called to Coleman Street just before 21:00 on Sunday.

A 17-year-old was taken to hospital and treated for injuries to his hand, which are not believed to be serious.

Investigations are ongoing to establish how he came to receive the injuries, said West Midlands Police.

Phil McCann
Cheshire Political Reporter, BBC News

Cheshire East Council's most senior financial officer has resigned, 16 months after he was suspended.

Image source, Google

Chief Operating Officer Peter Bates had been investigated by councillors since 2017 because of concerns over his conduct.

The council's chief executive and chief legal officer were also being investigated and have also both since resigned.

No details of any of the investigations have ever been released, but the BBC understands one was looking at the way contracts were awarded, which has also been investigated by Cheshire Police who have passed a file to prosecutors.

The council says it won't comment on staffing matters.

Worcester News

These are some of the main headlines today on the Worcester News website:

• Two arrested after threats with a pistol in Evesham, external
• Man hit out after group mocked him for being 'too muscly', external
• Walking buses will help keep children safe, external

A teenager's been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 15-year-old boy who was stabbed yards away from his home., external

Image source, West Midlands Police

Keelan Wilson was found in Langley Road, Merry Hill, Wolverhampton, in May, and died in hospital from his injuries.

A 16-year-old is in custody and West Midlands Police says he'll be questioned later today.

He's the seventh teenager to be arrested in connection with the murder with the other six released pending further investigation.

Jodie Looker
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

Workers who've lost their jobs in the collapse of a 200-year-old pottery manufacturer are expected to get help from a task force being set up.

Dudson Ltd, in Stoke-on-Trent, had been making tableware, glassware and fine china since 1800.

Image source, Google

The firm went into administration last week, with administrators PWC saying it was "not commercially viable to continue trading the company".

A total of 318 people were immediately made redundant.

Experts from Stoke-on-Trent City Council, careers advisers and union officials are behind the task force and are meeting tomorrow to discuss the situation.

In all, more than 1,100 jobs have gone, in Staffordshire in the last month, or are at risk, including cuts announced by Wedgwood and Foxes Biscuits.

BBC Shropshire

Two beds are being closed at a hospice from today, external because managers there say local NHS bosses have cut funding by £250,000.

Image source, Google

Severn Hospice has written a letter saying Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is reducing its grant.

The hospice says two other CCGs aren't cutting their grants but the move by Telford and Wrekin CCG represents a 30% fall in CCG contributions.

The beds are shutting at the hospice's Telford site. Telford and Wrekin CCG has been approached for a response.

Some more bad news from Jaguar Land Rover this morning.

The Coventry-based firm has released figures for the last financial year, which show an overall 5.8% drop in sales. The last quarter alone has revealed an 8% drop.

Image source, Getty Images

Owners Tata motors said "continuing weakness in China" was largely to blame, with sales down 34.1%.

A sales drop in Europe was reportedly due to a combination of "diesel uncertainty" and regulatory changes due to new testing measures being introduced.

However, Britain's biggest car maker increased its sales in the UK over the last year, up by 8.4% to 118,108 vehicles.

Sales in North America were also up.

The car maker will stop production in the West Midlands and Merseyside for one extra week.

A man was stabbed during an attempted carjacking in Coventry on Sunday, police say.

The man, in his 20s, was approached by two offenders on a moped in Norman Place Road, Coundon just before 19:30.

He suffered an injury to his arm which is not believed to be serious, said West Midlands Police.

The keys to the vehicle were stolen, but the offenders fled without it.

Coventry Live

Some of the headlines on the Coventry Live website today are:

• Man found with stab wound outside railway station, external
• Young anorexia patient dies in hospital after 'failings' in her care, external
• Shotgun fired inside Coventry pub, external

A 15-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the discovery in Herefordshire.

A man is to face seven charges over the abduction of a baby boy.

James Dempsey, 35, from Solihull, is accused of taking the five-month old from his mother's home in Sutton Coldfield on 3 April.

At Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Saturday, he was remanded in custody to appear at the city's crown court on 3 May.

The baby was found unharmed in a car near to Birmingham Airport on Thursday, West Midlands Police said Mr Dempsey of Eden Road, Solihull, is charged with child abduction, failing to stop for police, dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, theft and motoring offences.

The force said he was known to the baby's mother.

Warwickshire captain Jeetan Patel agrees a contract extension to stay at Edgbaston until the end of next season.