BBC News

Giving the hormone progesterone to women who have had a miscarriage and experience early bleeding in pregnancy could improve their chances of having a baby, a study suggests.

Image source, Samantha Allen

Researchers from the University of Birmingham carried out a trial on 4,000 pregnant women for the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, external.

Miscarriage affects one in five women, and vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of it happening.

Arri Coomarasamy, study leader and consultant gynaecologist at Birmingham Women and Children's Hospital, said the treatment could save thousands of babies' lives.

Coventry City agree to sign defender Kyle McFadzean on a two-year contract when his current deal expires with Burton Albion.

The organisers of the competition to design a flag for Herefordshire, external say they've been "overwhelmed" by the number of entries.

The Herefordshire Cultural Partnership says 675 possible designs have been submitted, including one from Chile, and a panel of judges will now draw up a shortlist of entries.

Image source, Google

The shortlist will then be voted on by Herefordshire residents, with the winning flag due to be revealed this autumn.

Richard Helm was stabbed to death in Wolverhampton by 31-year-old Danny Cooper.

A man has been jailed for life after being convicted of murdering a father-of-four who was stabbed to death.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Danny Cooper, (pictured left), of Coneyford Road, Shard End, Birmingham, was told he will serve a minimum of 23 years for the murder of Richard Helm.

The 37-year-old was found stabbed at Raven Crescent, in Ashmore Park, Wolverhampton, in October 2018.

Ashley Wilson, 27, of Guernsey Drive, Solihull, was also sentenced to eight years in prison at Wolverhampton Crown Court after being convicted of manslaughter.

BBC Business News

TheWorks.co.uk - seller of gifts, arts, crafts, toys, books and stationery - says it had an eighth, consecutive, record Christmas performance.

Image source, Getty Images

But the Coleshill-based company adds, in a trading update covering the 52-week period to 28 April, external, that "as a result of the widely reported economic and political uncertainty in the UK, like-for-like sales growth has softened since the turn of the year".

"Consequently, the company now expects its adjusted profit before taxation to be around the lower end of current market expectations."

Year-on-year revenue increased by 13.2% and like-for-like sales - stripping out new store openings - rose 3.0%.

BBC Radio Stoke Sport

Stoke City manager Nathan Jones has told fans his team will be entertaining and a "wonderful side to watch" when everything starts to click next season.

Stoke had 22 draws last season, by far the most in the Championship, and only relegated sides Bolton Wanderers and Ipswich Town scored fewer goals.

Image source, Getty Images

But Jones says he is building a better side with a new philosophy and asked fans if they "are prepared to get behind it, or do they just want to get on board when we are a successful side?"

Coventry Live

These are some of today's headlines on the Coventry Live website:

• Third arrest as part of Bedworth murder investigation, external
• Cabinet reshuffle announced at Coventry council, external
• Teenager suffers serious injuries in hit-and-run, external

A Kidderminster woman has finally come face to face with her idol Jason Donovan - 29 years after she won a competition to meet him.

Helen Harris was just 12 when she won the prize on Children's BBC, but on the day she was too shy to go backstage.

Image source, Scott Harris

Her husband Scott decided to put that right when Jason appeared on stage in Bromsgrove Artrix and he secretly arranged for them to meet.

Helen said he was "really warm and friendly" and added: "If my 12-year-old self knew I was going to end up being in that situation, she wouldn't believe it."

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl Jackson

Residents have won a victory in their battle to stop a lap dancing club opening in Acocks Green after its business backers were denied permission to sell alcohol.

Image source, Google

Birmingham City Council today refused Pure Gold’s application for a premises licence that would have allowed them to sell alcohol and host entertainment at the former Zorbas restaurant on Olton Boulevard East.

Around 1,200 people had lodged objections to the proposal with particular concerns surrounding the close proximity of a nursery and children’s play centre.

The council’s decision came after a licensing sub-committee heard concerns from neighbours to the venue, West Midlands Police and the council’s own environmental protection department.

Part of the A500 remains closed in Stoke-on-Trent almost nine hours after a collision spilled diesel across the road.

Highways England says it hopes to have one lane reopened, near the A52 junction, early this afternoon.

Image source, Highways England

The closure has led to long delays and a diversion is taking traffic around the scene.

Daniel Wainwright
Data unit - English regions

Renting privately across most of England has become unaffordable for people on benefits, housing charities have warned, with people in some areas short of at least £100 a month.

One couple from Wolverhampton say they would have ended up homeless, had they not heard about a property through church contacts.

Image source, Alexandra Smart/Shelter

Krystyna and Geoff Boswell receive about £93 a week to help with the cost of renting in north Cornwall. However, their rent is £160 a week and the rest of the money has to come from their disability benefits.

They sold their home in Wolverhampton in 2012 after Mr Boswell was made redundant and rented for four years before their landlord decided to sell the flat.

Mrs Boswell said none of the letting agents they approached would consider the couple and they could not get a council house.

You can read more about the story here.

The girls were approached while walking home from school by masked men who tried to "drag them away".

Most of the properties affected by the burst water main in Redditch should have their supply restored in the next couple of hours, Severn Trent has said.

The company explained it has now been able to bypass the broken pipe and will be pumping in water via a different route.

Image source, Severn Trent

Part of Warwick Highway remains closed while workmen work to fix the pipe and eight schools have been closed because of the loss of water.

Image source, Severn Trent

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Davis

Travellers who pitched up on land near to Cannon Park Shopping Centre in Coventry have failed to meet the council’s deadline to leave.

The group arrived on land next to Sir Henry Parks Road on Sunday and were visited by council officers on Tuesday.

Council staff gave them a deadline of midday on Wednesday to leave, but they have failed to comply.

A council spokesman said: “We will now look to proceed to the next formal stage via the courts.”

A teenager has been injured in a hit-and-run incident in Coventry.

The 15-year-old was struck by a Vauxhall Astra on Bushberry Avenue, in the Tile Hill area of the city, shortly before 13:00 on Wednesday, police say.

He was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital and treated for injuries which are not believed to be serious.

The car was later found burnt out and has been recovered, said West Midlands Police.

Express and Star

Some of today's headlines on the Express and Star website are:

• Travellers site plan could be resurrected, external
• How Wolverhampton feud led to father's death, external
• 'Wonderful' father died in crash while walking home on A41, external

The leader of Telford and Wrekin Council says a merger of Shropshire's two health commissioning groups will "fleece" Telford and harm healthcare in the area.

Shaun Davies said Shropshire's Clinical Commissioning Group, which is had a deficit of more than £28m at the last financial year, should "consider an alternative way to make the necessary savings".

Mr Davis said he has been to meet senior members of the Telford CCG to make clear his opposition and added: “This is simply Telford and Wrekin being fleeced to sort out Shropshire’s financial problems and years of poor management."

BBC Business News

Rail passengers seeking compensation for delayed journeys are required to submit up to 24 pieces of information to make a claim.

Consumer group Which? is calling for the system to be simplified after it found companies, including West Midlands Trains, were asking for between 10 and 24 separate details.

Image source, PA

Jacqueline Starr, chief operating officer from the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the rail industry, said that the questions were asked to ensure passengers "receive what they are entitled to as quickly as possible while also guarding against fraudulent claims".

West Midlands Trains, Greater Anglia, London Northwestern, ScotRail, and Transport for Wales asked for the most.

Building work was under way at the former munitions works in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter.