Heavy rain could cause travel disruption from 15:00 tomorrow, the Met Office is warning., external

A band of heavy rain, with the possibility of heavy bursts will move northwards during Friday afternoon.

A yellow warning for strong winds has been issued for Saturday, with further disruption expected.

The 27-year-old was charged after the crash forced the motorway's closure for 10 hours near Clevedon.

Firefighters have been battling flames after the collision which also seriously injured a woman.

Knife possession offences involving women in England have increased steeply since 2014 - rising by at least 10% every year, police figures show.

Image source, West Midlands Police

West Midlands Police recorded 221 offences involving women between 2014 and 2018.

In March,two women were arrested after a gun, drugs and a knife were found in a handbag in Birmingham.

The Home Office said it was investing £220m into steering both young men and young women away from violent crime.

For female offenders specifically, it supports and funds young people's advocates who work with gang-affected young women and girls in London, Manchester and the West Midlands.

Shropshire Star

The Shropshire Star's top stories today include:

• Restaurant chef slashed waiter with knife over onion bhaji order, external
• Man dies and woman seriously injured in three-vehicle crash near Market Drayton, external
• Apology sought over Shrewsbury town centre roadworks, external

Allen Cook
BBC News

A man's been charged with several offences after an incident in Staffordshire on Monday followed by a crash that closed the M5 in Somerset for 10 hours.

Image source, Highways England

The collision happened on Monday as police attempted to stop the vehicle near the Clevedon junction. A child in the vehicle was taken to hospital "as a precaution".

The 27-year-old man from Tamworth was charged with false imprisonment, sexual assault of a female, assault, dangerous driving and wilful neglect of a child.

He's due to appear before magistrates in Staffordshire today.

Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC WM

A £241,000 bill for business rates and security at a school that closed two years ago has been branded "unbelievable" by local residents.

Image source, Google

Baverstock Academy in Druids Heath closed in 2017, following alleged "financial irregularities" and a number of damning Ofsted reports.

Yesterday the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed the scale of the bill faced by the local authority.

Birmingham City Council said it had "no budget" to cover the sum this year and it remained a "financial risk".

It has been earmarked for demolition as part of the council’s £43m plans to regenerate the estate.

"It doesn't make sense," one nearby resident said, "it's just a joke".

A former soap actress who married one of the UK's most violent prisoners, Charles Bronson, was found unconscious on her bed next to bags of "white powder", an inquest's heard.

Image source, PA Media

Paula Williamson met Bronson in 2016 and married him in November 2017 although she said last month the couple had applied to have their marriage annulled.

The 38-year-old, who played minor roles in Coronation Street and Emmerdale, was discovered unconscious at her home in Gordon Avenue, Stoke-on-Trent, last week, the assistant coroner said.

She added that Miss Williamson had a previous history of "anxiety and depression" and had been through "detox" last year.

The hearing was adjourned to a future date.

Some of the UK's newest and most popular cars, including a Land Rover model, are at risk of being stolen in seconds by exploiting weaknesses in keyless entry systems.

The systems let drivers open and start their cars without taking their key out of their pocket.

What Car? magazine tested seven different car models fitted with keyless entry and start systems.

A DS 3 Crossback and Audi TT RS were taken in 10 seconds, and a Land Rover Discovery Sport TD4 180 HSE in 30.

Land Rover did not give a comment to What Car? regarding the tests.

Allen Cook
BBC News

If you're not from or live in Staffordshire, you might not be aware of the "mystical food of the gods, external" - the Staffordshire oatcake!

To mark this delicacy, today is the ninth annual Oatcake Day, external and people across the county - and beyond - are sharing their love of them on social media.

The event was set up in 2010 by DJ Terry Bossons from Biddulph and, over the years, has been endorsed by celebrities such as Ricky Gervais, Robbie Williams and Slash.

As for toppings, it's bacon and cheese all the way for us.

A woman has been seriously injured after being attacked by a dog in Birmingham.

The 59-year-old was treated for injuries to her arm before being taken to hospital after the attack on Heathmere Drive, Chelmsley Wood just after 19:30, said West Midlands Police.

Officers from the force's dogs unit seized the animal at the scene.

A 44-year-old man, arrested on suspicion of owning a dangerous dog, remains in police custody.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

A few of the stories making the headlines on the Stoke-on-Trent Live website this morning:

• Biker couple killed after motorcycle smashed into JCB during overtaking manoeuvre, external
• Pastor apologises for celebratory service that kept residents awake until 4am, external
• Shopkeeper jailed for five years after chasing customer with a claw hammer, external

A man has been charged in connection with a robbery at a McDonalds in Coventry in which a man wearing a clown mask threatened staff with a kitchen knife.

Image source, Google

Yesterday, police said officers were about to grab a coffee at McDonald's at the Alvis Retail Park on Holyhead Road, when a member of the public flagged them down to alert them about an armed robbery.

A 41-year-old is due to appear at Coventry Magistrates' Court later charged with robbery.

No one was injured during the incident and no money was taken, said West Midlands Police.

Allen Cook
BBC News

A man's died after his van caught fire in a crash with two other vehicles., external

Image source, Google

Emergency services were called to the A53 Newcastle Road in Ashley, near Loggerheads, Staffordshire, just before 22:30 yesterday.

A 4x4 and a car were the other vehicles involved in the collision.

The ambulance service said its crews couldn't save the man, who died at the scene.

A woman in her 40s was pulled from the 4x4 by bystanders and, after being treated for serious injuries, was taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital.

A man suffered serious head injuries after he was stamped on in an altercation involving two groups of men.

He remains in hospital in a stable condition, police said.

A second man suffered an injury to his ankle during the assault on Sheep Street, in Rugby, at about 05:15 on Saturday.

Warwickshire Police is asking for any witnesses to come forward.

Wolves could hand debuts to Patrick Cutrone and Jesus Vallejo in their Europa League qualifying tie against FC Pyunik in Armenia tonight.

Image source, Getty images

Nuno Espirito Santo's side face the 6,370-mile round journey, flying out on Wednesday and back straight after the game on Thursday, before visiting Leicester on Sunday.

Hundreds of Wolves fans are expected in Yerevan for their first European game outside of the UK since 1980.

They beat Belfast side Crusaders 6-1 on aggregate in the second qualifying round.

Right-back Matt Doherty (pictured left) and striker Raul Jimenez are both available after overcoming injuries.

Shots were fired from a vehicle in the Shard End area of Birmingham last night.

Officers were called to Hall Hays Road just before 18:30.

No injuries have been reported, said West Midlands Police.

An MP is calling for a wider investigation into a collapsed building in Nuneaton.

Nobody was injured when the brickwork came down from the Co-op building on Abbey Street on Wednesday.

Eyewitnesses described part of the roof collpasing on to the scaffolding, causing it to collapse.

The borough council said it fell within the safety barriers set up by the construction company.

Conservative MP for Nuneaton Marcus Jones, said the investigation needed to look at whether the public were put at risk.

Ex England player Geoff Thomas supports a doctor who delivered his cancer diagnosis 16 years ago.

Express and Star

Some of the headlines on the Express and Star website today are:

• Dog attack victim left needing four-hour operation, external
• Secretary in school fraud trial says headteacher was behind scam, external
• Pipers Row works 'in final stages' but still no date for completion, external