Gurpreet Singh is cleared of soliciting a murder, but still faces a charge of murdering his second wife.

BBC Hereford and Worcester

People on a new housing development have said they're paying a service charge for maintenance work that isn't good enough.

Residents on the Parklands estate in Wythall, Worcestershire, have told BBC Hereford and Worcester the site suffers from litter problems, dog mess and unkempt grass.

They pay a charge of £146 each year to a firm called SDL for the maintenance of the development.

The company's said it was happy to meet with residents to address their concerns.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Drivers are being warned again not to drive through flood water after one car got stuck today - despite two signs saying the route was shut., external

Image source, West Mercia Police

West Mercia Police had said yesterday afternoon that Newport Road, Shifnal was shut under the railway bridge after the heavy rain., external

Rich Davis
BBC Weather presenter

The rain's largely holding off for now but we'll have more pushing in later this evening.

The Met Office's yellow weather warning is still in place until tomorrow morning and some parts of the West Midlands have been affected by floods.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Dozens of lambs and ewes have been rescued by firefighters after getting trapped by rising flood water.

Image source, Staffordshire Fire Service

Staffordshire Fire Service was called to Tittensor, near Newcastle-under-Lyme, at 10:00, external.

Firefighters guided the 24 lambs and ewes to higher ground.

An inquest into the death of a seven-year-old boy who was murdered by his mother has been set for 11 November.

Image source, Family handout

Archie Spriggs was smothered with a cushion and strangled with a scarf at his home in Wall-under-Heywood, near Church Stretton, by Lesley Speed who was jailed for 18 years for his murder.

A serious case review said agencies had missed opportunities to intervene and at today's pre-inquest hearing at Shrewsbury's Shirehall a representative for Archie's family said questions must be asked about whether more could have been done to prevent his death.

Martin Beard saw a hospital letter saying "every effort" would be made not to tell him about it.

Hereford Times

The top stories from the Hereford Times today include:

• Family of SAS legend open new housing in Hereford, external
• Man in coma after assault in Hereford, external
• Herefordshire care home rated outstanding, external

Allen Cook
BBC News

Roads across Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire remain blocked this evening due to flooding, while rail services are also being disrupted.

Image source, Transport for Wales

Transport for Wales said the lines between Shrewsbury and Chester and Crewe and Chester remained blocked due to flooding. , external

While councils report, external roads flooded in areas including Nantwich, Crewe, Shrewsbury, Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford.

The Environment Agency's putting up flood barriers in Frankwell, Shrewsbury this evening with more rain forecast overnight., external

A haemophiliac said he was "stunned" to discover doctors had kept his HIV diagnosis a secret from him after he contracted the infection as a teenager.

Martin Beard, 50, from Burton upon Trent is giving evidence to the Contaminated Blood Inquiry, sitting in Leeds, and said he discovered a letter between hospitals - dated 1985 - which said he was HIV positive but was "not aware of this and that you do not wish this to be divulged to him".

Image source, SPL

Mr Beard said he was "stunned" and accused the hospitals of a "total, blatant disregard for me".

In 1986 he was told he had two years to live in a blunt manner. Recalling how his doctor broke the news, he said: "All he says is, 'Hello, I see you're HIV positive'. He didn't whisper it, he said it in a normal voice. The door was open - the normal public were sat in the waiting room."

The inquiry is looking at how thousands of patients were given infected blood products during the 1970s and 1980s in what has repeatedly been called "the worst treatment scandal in the history of the NHS".

Jurors considering a verdict in the trial of a businessman accused of murdering his wife at the home they shared in Wolverhampton have been sent home for the day.

Image source, Helen Tipper

Earlier today, they cleared Gurpreet Singh, 44, of soliciting the murder of his first wife, Amandeep Kaur, in 2013.

The jury at Birmingham Crown Court is still considering whether Mr Singh, of Rookery Lane, murdered his second wife, Sarbjit Kaur, who was found dead in February 2018.

Allen Cook
BBC News

The number of flood alerts in Shropshire and Cheshire have increased as the Met Office is warning there could be more flooding over the next 24 hours.

Image source, STFC goose

It has a yellow weather warning in place for most of the West Midlands until midnight and then the warning moves to cover a smaller area until midday tomorrow, external, but does include Cheshire.

The Environment Agency has two flood warnings in place in Shropshire along with five flood alerts in the county. , external

There are also four flood alerts in Staffordshire and one covering Crewe and Nantwich in Cheshire.

Facebook

Lots of you have joined the conversation on our Facebook page , externalafter it was announced that the cost of driving on the M6 Toll would increase by up to 50p per journey next month.

Prices for weekday journeys between 07:00 and 19:00 will rise to £6.70 for cars, £11.80 for vans and £12 for lorries.

Image source, Getty Images

David Moody wrote: "Used to use it when it first opened but now it’s a rip off"

Martyn Harris said: "It will drive people back on to the M6 which is a disaster anyway, should be brought in to public hands it would certainly cut the through traffic down."

Debbie Smith wrote: "They are pricing people off it and not relieving the congestion that the road was built to help with."

Worcester News

Here are some of today's headlines from the Worcester News:

• Hit-and-run driver flees after knocking down boy on way to school, external
• Travellers set up camp overnight in college car park, external
• Malvern tech firm sees Japan growth, external

Allen Cook
BBC News

Several cars were damaged when a beech tree collapsed on to them in Shropshire.

Image source, Roger Littleover

Witness Roger Littleover said no-one had been hurt when the tree came down this morning on three vehicles at the main entrance of Bridgnorth Cemetery.

He added he had had a lucky escape as he normally parked where the tree had fallen and the roof of one of the cars had been completely crushed.

Image source, Roger Littleover

Local Democracy Reporting Service
George Makin

Delays to providing a disabled woman with specialist home adaptations meant she had to sleep on a sofa for 18 months, the Local Government Ombudsman has found.

The unnamed woman, known as "Mrs X", waited three years for Dudley Council to arrange a specially designed bathroom and ground-floor bedroom which the ombudsman said should have only taken five months.

Image source, Google

Mrs X was awarded £500 in compensation from the council after she was forced to crawl on her hands and knees to reach an upstairs bathroom after waiting almost a year for someone from the local authority to come and meet her.

The ombudsman said she was "caused upset and inconvenience due to the council's failure to respond to her emails and calls" and said the delays were "avoidable".

Dudley Council apologised and has one month to pay the compensation.

Rebecca Mason spent £18,000 on a holiday and £69,000 on equipment for three horses, a court heard.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Roads around Crewe and Nantwich are still blocked this afternoon due to flooding., external

Cheshire East Council's said it was working to clear the water - this was the scene this morning on Kidderton Close, Nantwich:

Image source, Cheshire East Council

Image source, Cheshire East Council

The Supreme Court has overturned a decision by Birmingham City Council to declare a mum-of-four as "intentionally homeless" after she could not afford to pay her rent.

Terryann Samuels fell into arrears in 2011 after a shortfall between her housing benefit and £700-a-month rent for a house in West Bromwich.

Image source, PA

The council found her home was "affordable" and she had "flexibility" in her budget, which was made up of other benefits including welfare and child tax credits.

"I find it hard to see on what basis the finding of intentional homelessness could be properly upheld," Lord Carnwath, one of five Supreme Court judges looking at the case, said.

It was ruled Ms Samuels should not have had to use her other benefits to make up the shortfall in housing-related benefits and the judges called on the council to "accept full responsibility".

Homelessness charities supporting Ms Samuels, Shelter and Child Poverty Action Group, welcomed the ruling.

Keith Wedgebury
BBC Coventry and Warwickshire

A statue in Warwickshire, normally secretly dressed by locals, has been yarn bombed ahead of a village carnival.

Members of Dunchurch and Thurlaston Women's Institute (WI) have decorated Dunchurch village, including the Lord John Scott statue, to mark the WI's centenary.

Yarn bombing, also known as guerrilla knitting, is a type of street art featuring knitted or crocheted items as well as pom-poms.

The group's Facebook page, external said members had been working for 18 months to create the decorations in time for the carnival on 15 June.