A "severe" fire at a scrap yard in Dudley is being investigated.

A large quantity of household rubbish was burning at the yard on Bromley Street in Lye, said the fire service, which was called at 20:15 on Thursday.

One crew remains at the scene this morning, damping down.

Rich Davis
BBC Weather presenter

After a cloudy start, rain will move in from the south - some of it heavy at times - with top temperatures of 15C (59F).

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Friday.

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

Opportunities are being missed to detect abuse and support vulnerable women, researchers say.

The plaque to the founder of Save the Children has borne the wrong name for 23 years.

Andy Giddings
BBC News

We'll be back with the news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 tomorrow.

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

It should be a mainly dry night with clear spells before rain moves in with lows of 7C (45F).

Facebook

The location and timing of the crash on the M6 means a lot of drivers have been affected.

Long queues have been reported not only on the M6 and M5, but also smaller surrounding roads as drivers look for other routes home.

Image source, Traffic England

A few people have been getting in touch on the BBC Midlands Facebook page, external:

Jacqueline Perry writes: "Cars are being taken off down the slip road at junction 9 (wrong way). But the roads around the roundabout at j9 are rammed along with all the side roads. Just Be patient and drive safely."

Melissa Johnson says: "Heard it... this part of the M6/M5 is at the back of my house & it’s not a rare sound. Always here horns blasting at all hours, screeching tyres, smash sounds."

The last ambulance staff have left the scene of the crash on the M6, leaving it in the hands of West Midlands Police.

The last firefighters left an hour ago, after cutting free one of the drivers involved in the three-lorry crash.

It's now been three hours since West Midlands Ambulance Service was called out to deal with the collision, near the junction with the M5.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Shropshire Council says there's "no evidence" that changes to parking charges in Ludlow have hurt businesses in the town.

Councillor Tim Gill, the Ludlow mayor, said the new charges were driving businesses away from the town and claimed trade was down 18%, but the local authority's transport commissioner Kevin Atkin said the only effect had been to see more motorists park in outlying car parks.

Mr Aitkin also said there was evidence drivers were using on-street parking less and making more use of debit and credit cards to pay for their tickets.

Lindsay Doyle
BBC Midlands Today

Technology which is being used at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospital to detect heart disease, is to be introduced to another 35 hospitals across the country.

Heartflow works by creating a 3D model of the heart.

It means surgeons can check the blood flow of the patient, without having to carry out invasive surgery.

A consultant at the hospital, Dr Derek Connolly, described the technology as a "major advance" in the treatment of patients.

More on Midlands Today from 18:30 on BBC One.

BBC News Travel

One lane has now reopened on the southbound section of the M6 affected by the three-lorry crash earlier.

Here's what we know so far:

• Two people were taken to hospital, one of them with serious leg injuries after a collision at around 15:30 between J8 for the M5 and J9 for Wednesbury
• Both carriageways were shut for a time to allow the air ambulance to land
• Firefighters had to cut free the more seriously injured person, who was the driver of one of the lorries
• West Midlands Police officers remain at the scene
• Queues are backing up on the M6 at least as far as J10A

MP Jeremy Lefroy has called for better funding for small Accident and Emergency units across the country.

Earlier this week, campaigners said they were concerned for the future of Stafford's County Hospital after a consultation was launched to consider health services across the county.

Speaking in Parliament this morning, the Conservative MP called for a debate on smaller A&E units, saying Stafford A&E and its counterpart in Telford were "vital" to the local and regional health system.

Telford's A&E is set to be downgraded under plans to reorganise hospital services in Shropshire.

There have been a few rumblings of thunder around this afternoon, but it's set to get worse tomorrow, particularly in Warwickshire and Worcestershire.

The Met Office earlier issued a weather warning for southern parts of the West Midlands, external.

Environment Agency manager for Herefordshire and Worcestershire Dave Throup suggests we could be in for quite a downpour.

Andrew Hooper is charged with shooting his wife Cheryl in front of her teenage daughter in Newport.

Andy Giddings
BBC News

I've just spoken to West Midlands Police who say their officers remain at the scene of the lorry crash on the M6.

They're hoping to be able to reopen one lane on the south side soon, between junctions eight and nine.

The force isn't able to say when the motorway will fully reopen.

BBC News Travel

Motorists are being advised to avoid the M6 near the junction with the M5.

The southbound section between junctions eight and nine remains closed, while police continue their investigations.

Highways England is turning around trapped traffic between those junctions and says traffic is still slow on the northbound side.

Image source, Traffic England

The housing association that owns a building in Stafford in which four children died in February said it "considered very seriously" the decision to knock it down.

Eight-year-old Riley Holt, Keegan Unitt, six, four-year-old Tilly Rose Unitt and Olly Unitt, who was three, all died in the fire at 2 Sycamore Lane on 5 February and Stafford and Rural Homes said it had consulted family members and the local community.

Image source, Family handout

Karen Armitage, the chief executive of Stafford and Rural Homes (SARH), also said it is supporting people in the area who have plans to provide a "fitting memorial in the area”.

And it said it is "considering plans to provide a much-needed dwelling".

Keith Wedgebury
BBC Coventry and Warwickshire

A special D-Day service has been held at an ex-service home in Warwickshire.

D-Day veterans have also been swapping stories and enjoying a party to mark the anniversary in Southam, Warwickshire.

About 90 residents of the British Legion's home Galanos House joined in the party.

Ron Trenchard, who served in Normandy said he remembered the weather the day before the D-Day landings had hampered their efforts to get to Dover.

The 101-year-old said: "We couldn't get down through Dover, so we had to turn around and go back and wait" he said, "and that's why, really, D-Day is a day late".

He said as well as the rough weather, when they eventually set off, "there were Jerry shelling Dover at the same time".

BBC News Travel

Highways England says its about to start turning around traffic trapped on the M6, heading south between junctions eight and nine.

It says it plans to take the vehicles off at the previous junction.