BBC News Travel

There's a signalling failure at Dorridge leading to trains running at reduced speed.

Trains at the station may be cancelled or delayed by up to 30 minutes, the National Rail website reports. Disruption is expected until 10:00.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Health officials will hold their first discussions today over a plan to merge a county's two clinical commissioning groups.

Image source, Getty Images

Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) say they have been set a target to cut running costs by 20%.

According to a report, a merger would cut down on duplication of work and achieve the target.

Shropshire CCG is in debt, unlike Telford. It was placed in special measures in 2015 because of a multi million-pound deficit.

The proposals will be discussed today by the governing body of Shropshire CCG followed by Telford and Wrekin's on 14 May.

The bodies of Jasmine Lovett and her one-year-old daughter were found in woodland on Monday.

BBC Business News

Uber drivers in in Birmingham, along with colleagues in London, Nottingham and Glasgow, will protest outside Uber offices today.

Image source, Getty Images

They will be joined by drivers in the US cities of New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Philadelphia and Washington DC in striking over pay and work conditions.

The United Private Hire Drivers Branch of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) said it will stage a nine-hour boycott of the app between 07:00 and 16:00, and expects hundreds of drivers to take part.

The protests come days before the company lists its shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

Uber said drivers were "at the heart of our service".

BBC Midlands Today

The Duke of Cambridge is writing to the family of a British soldier who was killed by an elephant during a counter-poaching operation in Malawi.

Image source, MOD

Kensington Palace said Prince William wanted to pass on his condolences to the family of Mathew Talbot, 22, of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, who was from the West Midlands.

The patrol of armed British army soldiers and African Park Rangers was walking through tall grass - up to 7ft (2.1m) high - when they disturbed an unseen herd of elephants.

One of them charged at Gdsm Talbot. He died soon after from his injuries. No-one else on the patrol was hurt.

Sara Blizzard
BBC Weather

Cloudy this morning with spells of rain - here's the rest of today's weather forecast for the West Midlands:

If you want to get a forecast for your area at any other time, head to the BBC Weather website.

Allen Cook
BBC News

A pedestrian's been seriously hurt after being hit by a lorry on the M40 this morning., external

Image source, Highways England

Warwickshire Police said it happened at 03:50 on the southbound side of the motorway near to Hockley Heath, south of Solihull.

The pedestrian's been taken to hospital with serious injuries. All lanes were shut on the southbound side between J16 and J15.

Highways England said it's released trapped traffic but expected the route to stay closed, external "for a few hours".

Allen Cook
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Wednesday.

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.

Crewe's Nicky Hunt signs a new one-year contract, but fellow defender George Ray rejects a new deal with the League Two club.

We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 tomorrow, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening and into the morning.

Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

The new owners of Port Vale have told BBC Radio Stoke they've been determined to buy the club for three years.

Carol and Kevin Shanahan finalised the deal this morning purchasing the club and the ground from outgoing owner Norman Smurthwaite.

Vale was first put up for sale by Smurthwaite in 2016, since when the Shanahans have made several bids to buy the club.

Allen Cook
BBC News

People are being urged to stay away from part of Birmingham after a shooting this afternoon.

West Midlands Police hasn't released many details but says it happened at around 17:00 and they've cordoned off part of St Vincent Street, Ladywood., external

The deadline to register to vote in the European elections is midnight tonight.

Theresa May said the UK would not have to take part if MPs agreed a Brexit plan first, but the government has said "regrettably" it is "not going to be possible to finish that process" before the date the UK legally has to take part.

If you are not already registered to vote, you can do so via the government website, external

A man has been left with serious injuries after being attacked with what officers believe was an axe and baseball bats at a flat in Leamington Spa.

Image source, Google

The 37-year-old suffered 'life-changing' injuries to his head, body, arms and leg.

An attempted murder investigation has been launched into the "horrific" incident, which police say was a targeted attack, at a flat in Baxter Court, shortly before 20:00 on Monday.

Prior to the attack it's believed a number of offenders arrived at the property armed with baseball bats and an axe, Warwickshire Police said.

The man remains in hospital in a stable condition.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
George Makin

Conservatives in Dudley are preparing to put forward Councillor David Stanley as the new mayor in an effort to break the deadlock in the council.

Party members picked the Gornal ward councillor at a closed group meeting on Friday night, just hours after election results left both Labour and Conservatives on 36 councillors apiece.

The choice of the traditional ceremonial role has become crucial, because in tied votes the deadlock can only be broken with the mayor’s extra casting vote.

Councillor Patrick Harley, Conservative group leader, speaking as the election results came in, said he would seek to use the mayor’s vote to take control of the council.

Mathew Talbot was killed during a counter-poaching operation and is survived by his family and girlfriend.

BBC Shropshire

Defender Dom Smith is leaving AFC Telford United after turning down a new deal. , external

He looked to be on the way up after signing for Shrewsbury as a 16-year-old and later playing for Wales under-19s.

But in 2017, he was told by then-Shrewsbury manager Paul Hurst that he didn't feature in his plans.

Telford took him on but then loaned him out to Alfreton.

BBC Politics

A Staffordshire Conservative MP says "the time has come" for Theresa May to resign as prime minister.

Sir Bill Cash told the Press Association she "needs to be given a date" after the government resumed talks with Labour over Brexit.

Image source, House of Commons/PA Wire

They're trying to break the deadlock in Parliament over the terms of withdrawing from the EU.

But some Brexiteers are angry at Mrs May's efforts to find a compromise with Labour after her deal with the EU was effectively rejected by MPs three times.

They include leading Eurosceptic Sir Bill, the MP for Stone, who added that while he wants Mrs May to go, "it needs to be done in an orderly manner".

But Chancellor Philip Hammond defended the cross-party talks, suggesting the government had no other option.

Hands up who wants to vote for the next European Parliament?

Stretchy compression gym clothing is all the rage, but are there any real benefits for the wearer?