Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has withdrawn from next week's Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham.

Image source, AFP

The Czech sixth seed, 29, had to withdraw from the French Open in May due to an arm injury, which she is still recovering from.

She tweeted, external that she was "working hard to get back as soon as possible" and "keeping everything crossed for Wimbledon".

Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, lifted the trophy at the 2017 Birmingham Classic, just six months after she was attacked by an armed intruder in her home.

The Birmingham Classic runs from 15-23 June at the Edgbaston Priory Club.

A woman has been taken to hospital after her car overturned in Coventry.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said paramedics were called to Fairfax Street at 12:45 and sent two ambulances to the scene as well as a Warwickshire and Northamptonshire air ambulance.

The woman, who was driving, was the only patient and had to be cut free from her car.

WMAS said her injuries were not believed to be serious and she was taken for treatment at University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire by land ambulance.

Flood barriers are to go up in Frankwell, in Shrewsbury this evening, with the Environment Agency saying it is expecting more rain overnight, external.

High river levels in Maesbrook and Melverley are expected to make their way downstream to Shrewsbury in the coming days.

Image source, Environment Agency

BBC Coventry & Warwickshire Sport

The Sky Blues manager Mark Robins has told BBC Coventry and Warwickshire he has a number of signings lined up for the coming season.

Image source, Reuters

"We're really close," he said. "There's plenty of movement afoot.

"I want to do five, possibly six, more [signings]. They're all lined up and we're ready to go - we just need to get on with it."

On Friday, it was announced that the Coventry City team would groundshare at Birmingham City's St Andrew's for the 2019-20 season after failing to agree a deal to stay at the Ricoh Arena.

Mr Robins said this wouldn't hamper his recruitment plans, but he wants the team to return to Coventry as soon as possible.

Bongi Msimanga
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

An assistant town clerk's been jailed for four years for stealing £218,000 from a council's reserves.

Rebecca Mason took the money from Rugeley Town Council between February 2017 and December 2018.

The council says the money should have been used for fixing the community theatre and two children's play areas.

Instead, the 42-year-old from School Walk, Burntwood, used the money to fund her lifestyle, including spending £18,000 on a holiday and £69,000 on equipment for three horses.

Today at Stafford Crown Court, she was jailed after previously pleading guilty to one count of fraud.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Railway lines in Shropshire and Cheshire are still blocked this afternoon due to flooding.

Image source, Transport for Wales

Transport for Wales said routes between Shrewsbury and Chester and from Chester to Crewe had lines covered in flood water., external

Leeds target Wolves forward Helder Costa as they prepare for another push at promotion to the Premier League.

Shropshire Star

A few of the stories making the headlines on the Shropshire Star website today:

• Flooding causes chaos for commuters in Shropshire and Mid Wales, external
• Tree crashes onto cars outside Bridgnorth cemetery, external
• Shropshire paedophile's 'vigilante' claim rejected by judge, external

BBC Hereford and Worcester

Work to demolish an eyesore building in Kidderminster's going to start on Monday., external

Image source, Google

Wyre Forest District Council reached an agreement in February with the owners of the Crown House to knock it down at no cost to taxpayers.

The demolition's expected to take until January to complete.

The fire at a building in Walsall is being treated as suspected arson.

Allen Cook
BBC News

River levels are continuing to rise in parts of the West Midlands as more rain's forecast for the next 24 hours.

Image source, Eric Bullock

The Environment Agency still has two flood warnings on the River Vyrnwy near Oswestry, which mean flooding is expected. , external

There are also nearly a dozen flood alerts - meaning flooding is possible - across the West Midlands, including in Shropshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire.

The agency says it expects some river levels to peak this evening but that could change with more rain on the way.

Meanwhile, Cheshire Police has warned of severe flooding in parts of Crewe and Nantwich:, external

Image source, Cheshire Police

Allen Cook
BBC News

A businessman has been cleared of attempting to arrange the contract killing of his former wife, who later died.

Image source, Helen Tipper

The jury at Birmingham Crown Court found Gurpreet Singh not guilty of soliciting the murder of Amandeep Kaur in 2013.

She died on a trip to India in 2014. Authorities in the Punjab concluded she had suffered a brain haemorrhage.

The jury is still deliberating over a separate charge of murder against the 44-year-old of Rookery Lane, Wolverhampton.

Caledonian Sleeper passengers are given bus tickets after the service was terminated mid-journey

Allen Cook
BBC News

Several roads are shut across Cheshire because of flooding and drains are struggling to cope, Cheshire East Council has said.

Image source, Cheshire East Council

The local authority said most of the reports it was dealing with were in the south of the county, around Crewe and Nantwich., external

It said drains in the area were reaching capacity and driving conditions remained difficult as there was a lot of standing water around.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Kerry Ashdown

There are "real concerns" about the future of a birthing unit at a hospital because not enough babies are being born there, it's been revealed.

Image source, Google

Figures from the NHS trust running Stafford's County Hospital show just one to three births a month are taking place at the moment at the midwife-led unit.

Trust chief executive Tracy Bullock said it needed about 350 babies to be born each year at the site for the midwife-led service to stay viable.

She said the trust was now campaigning to get more mothers using Stafford's birthing unit but admitted, if it can't raise the figures, "we seriously need to be asking some questions".

BBC Shropshire

Drivers are being warned of a lot of surface water and flooded rivers in Shropshire today.

Dave Throup, of the Environment Agency, has tweeted , externalthat the rain's affecting a lot of low-lying roads, including Boreton Ford, near Condover, south of Shrewsbury:

Image source, Environment Agency

The A49 at Woofferton, south Shropshire, Hanwood Road towards Edgebold Roundabout, the B4386 between Westbury and Minsterley, and the Mount outside Shrewsbury are all affected by flooding.

A football coach who was found guilty of 45 counts of indecent assault between 1971 and 1996 has been jailed for 24 years and three months.

Bob Higgins, 66, sexually touched and groped 24 victims, most of them trainees at Southampton FC and Peterborough United.

Image source, SOLENT NEWS & PHOTO AGENCY

One of his victims was former Millwall and Coventry City player Billy Seymour, who died in a crash earlier this year.

His words were read in court by his mother, Jane Seymour, detailing how he spiralled into "self-destructive behaviour", resorting to drink and drugs.

"Only now am I coming to terms with what you did to me as a young, defenceless lad who admired you, hero-worshipped you and, I feel sick to my stomach to say, loved you," Mrs Seymour read.

"I am in safe hands now, real safe hands, not those you offered me. I am a fighter, this is closure. Goodbye Bob Higgins."

Knife crime "should be classed as a national emergency by the government" according to the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson.

Image source, PA

Mr Jamieson was speaking as the Knife Angel - a 27-foot-high sculpture made out of seized knives - leaves Birmingham after being on display for five weeks.

He said the sculpture had "proved a powerful reminder to the people of Birmingham about the dangers posed by knives".

Knife crime in the West Midlands has risen by 85% since 2012 and "shows no sign of abating", Mr Jamieson said.

BBC Weather Watchers

Wet and soggy is pretty much how to sum up many of the photos we've had so far today from our local BBC Weather Watchers.

Here are three, from users Peter Steggles in Longnor, Shropshire, Ken M in Lydbury North, Shropshire and H W S Heanor in Trentham, Staffordshire:

Image source, Peter Steggles

Image source, Ken M

Image source, H W S Heanor

Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland is a target for newly promoted Premier League side Aston Villa.

Image source, Getty Images

They're considering breaking the club's transfer record for the Potters' number one.

A figure of £20m has been reported but it's likely Stoke will want closer to £23m., external

Butland, who is 26 and a regular in Gareth Southgate's England squad, has also been tracked by Bournemouth and Crystal Palace this summer.

He has acknowledged he needs to be playing in the Premier League to further his England ambitions.