BBC Midlands Today

Hundreds of campaigners are set to gather across the region today calling for more funding to support children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Image source, Getty Images

It's part of a co-ordinated day of action across the UK, with 28 towns and cities taking part.

Among them are parents, children and supporters in Birmingham, Leamington Spa and Worcester who'll be highlighting issues around underfunding and exclusion.

Send National Crisis campaigners are due to deliver a 13,000-signature petition to Downing Street at 12:00 BST, and then hold a rally in Parliament Square.

They say special needs funding is failing to keep pace with demand.

Ministers say they are increasing the cash available.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Some workers at Walsall Council have been abusing their local councillors on social media, with some "serial offenders" not believing they have done anything wrong, the town's council leader has said.

Leader Mike Bird said some employees had targeted elected members over policies they disagreed with but they needed "to understand that social media is a very dangerous medium that creates difficulties".

He told a council meeting on Tuesday two or three members of staff were facing disciplinary action for abuse of elected members.

"Some are serial offenders but when they are challenged, they don’t seem to realise they have done wrong," he added.

A new code of conduct is being drawn up which will set out what is expected of them.

Councillor Bird said: "Some of the things said are actually libellous and when they retweet or share things on Facebook, they could be perpetuating that libel.

"Our message to staff is very clear, if you want to work for Walsall Council you have to play by the rules. If not, I suggest they look for employment elsewhere."

A gross misconduct investigation into a former Cheshire chief constable was "flawed" and based on "flimsy" allegations, a report has found.

Simon Byrne was suspended and accused of bullying staff at Cheshire Constabulary before being cleared last year.

A report has blamed police commissioner David Keane for "failures in the investigation and a lack of rigour".

Mr Keane said he would "consider" the findings of the report.

BBC Midlands Today

Warwickshire's Chris Woakes and Worcestershire's Moeen Ali will be hoping to start for England as they begin the Cricket World Cup today.

Image source, Getty Images

The hosts, who are world number ones and favourites, take on South Africa at The Oval (10:30 BST).

Woakes and Moeen were named in England's 15-man squad and both have played key roles in the side's rise in the rankings.

The top four teams from the group stage advance to the semi-finals before the final at Lord's on 14 July.

There will be full commentary on every game on Test Match Special and the BBC Sport website will show in-play highlights.

BBC Sport

Coventry Blaze's Ben Lake's moved to the Belfast Giants to become their first pre-season signing.

Image source, Getty Images

Lake, 29, spent the last two seasons with the Blaze while he helped Team GB retain their Pool A status at the recent World Championship.

He played a part in Belfast's title success in April, scoring an empty-net goal to seal Coventry's win over Cardiff Devils in the final game and ensuring the Giants finished in top spot.

Express and Star

From the Express and Star today:

• Rescue deal hope for Wolverhampton's Debenhams amid downsize plan, external
• Historic former Dudley school to get new lease of life, external
• Spectacular fun at Staffordshire County Show, external

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Davis

All of Warwickshire's clinical commissioning groups (CCG) are planning to merge to cut costs by £2.4m by 2021., external

Image source, Seb_Ra/Getty Images

They follow similar moves in Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire as all NHS organisations have been asked to cut costs by 20% by March 2020.

In Warwickshire, the three CCGs - Coventry, South Warwickshire and Warwickshire North - are working on a deficit of £15m, with running costs totalling £20.1m.

Local campaigners have said they're worried the move won't result in savings and instead mean vital services aren't funded.

But the CCGs' said the move will improve health by cutting duplication and savings will only be made from administrative work.

Voting by GP practice members on the plan closes on Friday.

BBC Business News

The first 5G mobile phone service in Birmingham's being turned on from today.

Image source, Getty Images

EE is the first mobile network in the UK to make the move in six cities, bringing faster services for customers.

The firm has admitted that this is just phase one of its roll-out, with "full next-generation 5G" not available until 2022.

EE's lowest-priced deal is £54 a month plus a one-off £170 fee for a compatible handset.

BBC Technology's been looking at what 5G is, what it could mean for customers and why they might want to wait for more networks to launch and more cities to be connected.

BBC Politics

Tributes have been paid to the former Worcestershire Conservative MP, Lord Michael Spicer, who's died in hospital at the age of 76.

Lord Spicer was the MP for South Worcestershire between 1974 and 1997 and after a boundary change represented the constituency of West Worcestershire.

A family spokesman said he had Parkinson's disease and leukaemia.

As well as being one of Worcestershire's MPs, he was a founder of the Eurosceptic European Research Group and served in various ministerial positions from 1984 to 1990.

Former Prime Minister David Cameron said Lord Spicer had a "great sense of fun and humour as well as being devoted to his family, constituency and Parliament".

Conservative party chairman Brandon Lewis described Lord Spicer as "a kind, courteous and faithful member" of the party, while MP Priti Patel lauded his "achievements during the Thatcher government".

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

Cloudy this morning but mainly dry across the West Midlands - here's today's full weather forecast:

You can get a latest forecast for your area 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.

The founder of the ERG dies in hospital aged 76 after suffering from Parkinson's and leukaemia.

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.

Plans to turn a Victorian lock-up into a museum have suffered a funding set back after "significant" repairs to the roof are required.

The £150,000 work needed on Steelhouse Lane "could threaten the success of the project", organisers say, and are now appealing for donations from the public.

A Go Fund Me page has been set up offering the public rewards for the different amounts of money that they wish to give.

It comes as designs for the museum have been approved by Birmingham City Council.

More of the original features of the building will be revealed as part of the plans, part-funded by the National Lottery, as well as improving disability access and other minor works.

The lock-up formed part of Steelhouse Lane police station, which was called Birmingham Central before it closed in 2017.

Wales midfielder Hayley Ladd leaves Women's Super League outfit Birmingham City after two seasons with the club.

BBC Hereford and Worcester

The future of two libraries is looking secure after a local council promised to cover their running costs.

Image source, Google

There's been a campaign in Worcester to save St John's Library (pictured) which was under threat along with the one in Warndon because of cuts in funding from Worcestershire County Council.

But the city council's proposing putting £157,000-a-year towards supporting current services at the two sites , externaland councillors will decide whether to approve that plan on Tuesday.

Middlesex are frustrated by rain as day three of their County Championship match against Worcestershire only starts after tea.

Motorists risk incurring a fine if they use two bus lanes in the Black Country from next month.

Warning notices will be sent out first to anyone caught on camera driving along Hagley Road West in Oldbury and Walsall Road in West Bromwich from Monday.

But after Friday 14 June, motorists will receive penalty charge notices from Sandwell Council.

Councillor Jackie Taylor, cabinet member for sustainable transport, said: "We must encourage the use of sustainable transport options to give priority for buses which might be held up in traffic congestion."

The restrictions on using the lane will be in place between 07:00 to 19:00 BST.

Ghamer Sulayman was also found guilty of human trafficking in relation to his 15-year-old victim.

Jodie Looker
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

Rural crime's increased by 40% in five years in Staffordshire and cost the county's economy £54m last year, a new report's claimed.

It's been drawn up by the office of Staffordshire's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, external (PFCC) and revealed the county's police recorded 9,300 rural crimes in 2017-18.

Other findings show that fly-tipping's increased 53% in five years, with an overall total number of incidents in that time of 59,798 which cost £3.65m to clear-up.

The PFCC's office has said it wants the report to be a "catalyst" for people to be more aware of rural crime and work with police to protect themselves and their property., external