A Staffordshire MP is calling for tough action against Conservative MPs who don't back the government in any confidence motion on a no-deal Brexit.

MP for Lichfield Michael Fabricant has tweeted any Tory MP not backing the government should "lose the whip and be forbidden from standing as a Conservative".

Defence minister Tobias Ellwood told the BBC's Panorama programme that "a dozen or so" Conservative MPs would support a vote of no confidence in the government to stop a no-deal Brexit.

"I believe that absolutely is the case. I think a dozen or so members of parliament would be on our side, would be voting against supporting a no deal and that would include ministers as well as backbenchers," he said.

Next month about 160,000 Conservative Party members will choose the next leader of the Tory Party - and the next prime minister.

Members will receive their ballots between 6 and 8 July, with the new leader expected to be announced in the week beginning 22 July.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Alex Moore

Physical attacks on paramedics have risen by nearly a quarter in a year, latest figures have revealed.

Image source, West Midlands Ambulance Service

West Midlands Ambulance Service said in April and May, 80 ambulance staff were physically assaults, 15 more than the same months in 2018.

Over the same period, verbal attacks increased as well, from 102 to 165.

But the service said "security incidents", such as theft of property, fell from 46 to 38.

The man was helped from the water by members of the public, Staffordshire Police said.

BBC Hereford and Worcester

A five-year-old boy with leukaemia, who had a transplant after inspiring thousands of people to sign up to the stem cell register, could be back home within five weeks.

Image source, Family handout

Oscar Saxelby-Lee, from Worcester, is currently in an isolation unit at Birmingham Children's Hospital after the operation last month.

It was carried out following a drive to find him a donor with three matches being found.

His mother told BBC Hereford and Worcester that, while Oscar could be back home soon, he'll have to stay in their house to keep him safe from infections.

Shropshire Star

The Shropshire Star's headlines this morning include:

• Shropshire GP surgeries being paid millions for ‘ghost’ patients, external
• Homes plan unveiled for land near Oswestry hill fort, external
• Legal threat over bid to build 3,000 homes near M54, external

A man was taken to hospital with serious injuries to his face after police were called to reports of an assault outside a Leamington Spa nightclub.

The incident took place at 01:15 on High Street in the town, said Warwickshire Police.

A 20-year-old charged with wounding with intent is due to appear at Warwick Magistrates' Court today.

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

A man in a wheelchair who was rescued by members of the public after falling into a lake has died in hospital, police said.

Image source, Google

It happened at Westport Lake, Stoke-on-Trent, yesterday morning.

The man was in his 80s and police said they don't believe there were any suspicious circumstances.

A barn's been destroyed in a fire.

Fire crews spent more than three hours , externalbattling the blaze at a farm in Marchington, near Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, on Sunday morning.

The fire service hasn't revealed what caused it.

Image source, Staffordshire Fire Service

Image source, Staffordshire Fire Service

It's an "absolute tragedy" Coventry City will be playing in Birmingham next season, its owners Sisu say.

In an interview with Sky Sports, , externalSisu boss Joy Seppala said "it's not what we would ever choose" and that all the club wants is to "be able to play in our own stadium, but there are just circumstances that are beyond our control".

The club will groundshare at Birmingham City's St Andrew's for the 2019-20 season after failing to agree a deal to stay at Coventry's Ricoh Arena.

Image source, Sky News

Last week, Coventry City Council said a failure to agree a deal at the Ricoh was purely due to Sisu's decision to refer the stadioum sale to the European Commission, following a string of failed court proceedings in the UK.

The ground-sharing arrangement with Birmingham is the second time they have been forced to play away from their own home during Seppala's reign, with the Sky Blues playing at Northampton's ground during the 2013/14 season.

After apologising to the fans in the interview with Sky's Rob Dorsett, she also revealed the level of abuse she's received since the company took control of the club.

“The phone calls and the emails and the letters and the stack of letters and the protesting wherever by the office - I’m a big girl, I can handle it.

“You come after my children, you come after my personal home, it’s a different story.”

Melissa Compton, says sickness will not stop her finishing the 220-mile swim of the river

BBC News Travel

Today's disruption to trains between Wales and Birmingham's now expected to last into this afternoon.

A fault with the signalling system's affecting services between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury:, external

Birmingham Live

Some of the Birmingham Live headlines today are:

• police officers race to Chamberlain Square in suspicious package alert, external
• Crash near causes major tailbacks into Birmingham city centre, external
• Patisserie Valerie serious fraud probe sees five arrested amid police investigation, external

Several cans of stout and a quantity of drugs were also found in the car, police say.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Thieves who stole 12 picnic benches in Lichfield are being urged to "do the right thing" and return them.

Image source, Lichfield District Council

The Lichfield Food Festival currently hosts a monthly "grub club" in the centre of the city., external

On Sunday, organisers posted on Facebook, external that the benches had been taken.

They said the theft didn't just affect them but the seating was going to be used for five other events this summer.

BBC Sport

Warwickshire will be hoping to pile on the runs today and take a stranglehold on their game with Surrey in the County Championship.

Image source, Getty Images

The Bears dominated day one at The Oval, bowling the home side out for 194 and then ending the day 89-1.

You can follow the action today via BBC local radio commentary or the BBC Cricket website.

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

More than 60 stop-and-searches were carried out in Crewe over the weekend after extra powers were handed to officers in the wake of a stabbing.

In March, police were given greater powers to tackle knife crime, making it easier to search people without reasonable suspicion in places where serious violence may occur.

Just over a week ago a man was attacked on Nantwich Road, with police questioning three teenage boys in connection with the incident.

Cheshire Police were granted extra powers, external over the weekend to stop and search any person or vehicle looking for weapons, whether or not officers have any grounds of suspicion.

They carried out 64 stop and searches and, so far, have arrested three men on suspicion of knife offences, two for possession of a knife and one for making threats., external

Warwickshire's on-loan debutant Toby Lester takes 4-41 as the Bears bowl Surrey out for 194 on day one at The Oval.

West Midlands Police will spend £7m tackling knife crime after three teenagers died in 12 days.

BBC Sport

Great Britain's archery team won a gold medal at the European Games in Minsk one day after the sport was left out of the 2022 Commonwealth Games programme.

Image source, PA

The team - four-time Olympian Naomi Folkard from Leamington Spa, Bryony Pitman and Sarah Bettles - beat Belarus 6-2 to win Britain's first gold of the Games.

"As a sport we did everything we possibly could to try to get archery into the Games," said Folkard.

"Hopefully that will help us get back onto the programme in future."

She also secured a silver medal with partner Patrick Huston in the mixed team recurve archery on Sunday.

BBC News Travel

Train passengers trying to travel on routes between Birmingham and Wales are being warned of disruption for much of this morning.

Image source, LDRS

Replacement buses are running in both directions between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury due to a fault with the signalling system, National Rail Enquiries said., external

It's affecting Transport for Wales and West Midlands Railway services until at least 11:15.

Image source, LDRS

Local Democracy Reporter Andrew Morris was caught up in the disruption in Shrewsbury and ended up abandoning using the train.

He tweeted of a lack of information, external at the station and that he was told “there might be some buses later today”.

In Wolverhampton, hoping to get to Telford, traveller Chris told BBC Shropshire he had been waiting over an hour for a bus and that there was "chaos" in the station.

"Why can't they have a back-up system. This is ridiculous," he said.