Allen Cook
BBC News

Students in Warwickshire look to be leading the way when it comes to getting the top grades in key subjects, according to England's exams regulator Ofqual.

Image source, Ash Green School

It's published its interactive map for this year's exams, external showing the grade outcomes for 16-year-olds.

When it comes to the West Midlands, a higher percentage of pupils in Warwickshire achieved the top grades in maths (24.6%), English language (20.4%), English literature (25%) and French (30%).

However, the county didn't so so well when it came to combined science, with the lowest percentage of 5.1% compared with 9.5% of students in Worcestershire.

Allen Cook
BBC News

We're starting to see a flood of messages from schools across the West Midlands understandably celebrating their students' GCSE results.

So, to share the joy, here are some of the photos from around the region of happy pupils:

Image source, Lichfield Cathedral School

Image source, The Grove School

Image source, The Chase School

Birmingham Live

Here's a look at what's making the headlines on the Birmingham Live website today:

• HS2 fury after Birmingham scrapyard boss hit by eviction notice and threatened with arrest, external
• Police probe anti-social behaviour outside Great Barr wedding venue after 'smoke bombs let off', external
• Council 'refusing to ban travellers from Balsall Heath because area not posh enough', external

Seven of Birmingham's MPs have written to the vice chancellor of the University of Birmingham calling on the university to pay a "real living wage" amid strike action from its employees.

This is not to be confused with the compulsory National Living Wage or National Minimum Wage, which is currently £8.21 an hour for anyone over the age of 25.

Unison trade union members at the university have been taking industrial action, including strikes on campus during graduation days, over complaints about fair pay.

The group of Labour MPs have now written to David Eastwood echoing the union's calls and said they "cannot see the justification" to not pay staff a real living wage "given the University's strong financial position".

The real living wage, calculated by the Living Wage Foundation, is currently set at £9 an hour for workers outside London.

The university has previously said it has matched the voluntary living wage.

Three people have been arrested after suspected heroin was found at a property in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Image source, Google

Warwickshire Police said officers noticed a suspected drug deal on Longfellow Road on Tuesday afternoon and found a local 37-year-old man in possession of class A drugs.

Officers then searched a nearby property where officers seized a "significant quantity" of the suspected heroin and a knife.

A 38-year-old woman and a 34-year-old man, both from Stratford, were arrested at the property on suspicion of possession of class A drugs with intent to supply.

All three suspects have been released under investigation while inquiries continue.

BBC News Channel

For many teenagers in the West Midlands, it's been a stressful start to the day as envelopes were ripped open to reveal GCSE results.

For two students in Shropshire, that stress was probably bumped up even higher as they opened them live on the BBC News Channel.

BBC News Education correspondent Frankie McCamley went back to her old school, Lakelands Academy, Ellesmere, external, to speak to two pupils, Alden and Callum.

Both revealed better grades than they'd expected with Alden saying he was "very happy, surprised" as he didn't think he'd done well in English.

While Callum (above), who admitted he was "always struggling" with English, was overjoyed to pass in the subject and it all meant he could go on to do the A Levels he wanted.

Nationally, there has been a slight increase in the GCSE pass rate and the percentage of top grades this year, despite numerous concerns about the difficulty of exams.

We'd love to hear from you about GCSE results today in your family by email or you can tweet to the BBC Midlands account @bbcmtd., external

West Midlands Police said three-year-old Dylan Hayes, who disappeared from Selly Oak in Birmingham on Monday, has been found safe and well.

He was found shortly after 17:00 on Wednesday, police said, in Selly Oak.

The force thanked all the members of the public who shared the appeal to trace him earlier in the week.

The leader of Dudley Council has said the government review into HS2 "should be welcomed".

Image source, HS2

"It's a chance to try and get the project back on track," Patrick Harley said. "The costs are escalating, if the review can help the process, I think it should be welcomed."

Mr Harley will be on the panel reviewing the HS2 project, due to publish its findings by the end of the year, and told the BBC he would be "batting for the West Midlands".

BBC Midlands Today

A nurse who was hospitalised after "swallowing raw sewage" when swimming the River Severn says more needs to be done to clean up the waterway.

Image source, Melissa Compton

Melissa Compton, who works in Shrewsbury, had to postpone her 220-mile charity swim challenge earlier this summer after being taken ill in Gloucester, before completing two weeks later.

In the latest data from the Environment Agency, the River Severn was rated as the second dirtiest in England with just 5% of it in good health in the last reported check.

BBC Sport

Wolves will be aiming to reach the Europa League group stage for the first time when they face Serie A side Torino in the play-off round.

Image source, Getty Images

The first leg takes place in Italy this evening.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side, who finished seventh in the Premier League last season, have already progressed through two qualifying rounds.

They last played in the competition in 1980, when they lost in the first round of what was then the Uefa Cup.

Allen Cook
BBC News

West Midlands Ambulance Service has been praised for bringing in new treatments and its training of staff as it was rated "outstanding" by the Care Quality Commission watchdog for the second year running, external.

It is the only ambulance service in the country to get the highest rating, following the inspections in April and June.

Image source, West Midlands Ambulance Service

The trust looks after 5.6 million people in the region and the CQC praised it for its innovations, patient transport services and its work with universities to train paramedics.

It also commended the ambulance service for training staff to deal with childbirth emergencies

The trust was however told to make improvements in 15 areas including the temperature at which medicines are stored at and making sure vehicles are consistently kept clean.

Worcester News

The Worcester News is covering these stories today:

• More night shelters to open across Worcestershire, external
• Worcester cricket bat attack was 'horrible' says teacher, external
• Girl beats cancer after 833 days of chemotherapy treatment, external

BBC Midlands Today

A charity that teaches parenting skills to single mothers has opened a new garden to help single fathers.

It's known as the Dads 4 Dads project and the aim is to help them bond with their children.

A garden and allotment has been set up in Burton-upon-Trent by East Staffordshire Family Support Services. , external

It says its aim is to give the dads, who may have become estranged from their children, the chance to grow vegetables and flowers and help rebuild relationships.

BBC Midlands Today

More than £2m is going to be used to improve wildlife habitats on Cannock Chase.

Staffordshire County Council says the cash is coming from the government after it reached an agreement with Natural England over how to manage the area. , external

The work will include introducing a pilot scheme of cattle grazing, controlling areas of scrub and bracken and burning heather to get it to regrow.

BBC Sport

Stoke City boss Nathan Jones says "there must be something on the mind" of goalkeeper Jack Butland after his error-strewn display in the Potters' defeat at Preston North End.

Image source, Getty Images

The hosts were 2-0 up inside 25 minutes at Deepdale, with both goals stemming from mistakes by the 26-year-old England keeper.

"No one talks about him as being a Stoke goalkeeper," Jones told BBC Radio 5 Live. "Everyone talks about him losing his place in the England side or that he's got to go abroad or leave Stoke to gain this or that.

"But he's got to do his job for Stoke first. I don't know where he must be mentally because there's so much talk about him, but realistically we all have to do our job for Stoke."

Rebecca Woods
BBC News

Identical twins Laura and Anna Callwood have told the BBC how they've overcome several hurdles connected to their autism to land dream jobs in dairy farming.

Diagnosed at 10 years old, they have faced a string of educational challenges but became obsessed with agriculture when they were little girls growing up in Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire.

The Callwood twins were told 'there's more to life than farming' when they told their school they wanted to be farmers.

Read more of their story here on the BBC website.

BBC News England

The River Severn is one of the dirtiest in England, the Environment Agency's revealed.

Image source, Environment Agency

Just 5% of the Severn area, which runs through Shropshire and Worcestershire, was in good health at the last reported check.

It comes as the World Wide Fund for Nature says rivers in England are "used as open sewers" and warns targets to get 75% of them to be healthy by 2027 are "very unlikely" to be met.

The Environment Agency is planning an autumn consultation on the challenges of cleaning them and said it would review the target based on "what can realistically be achieved".

Express and Star

The Express and Star's headlines include:

• International crime gang busted after targeting Wolverhampton Aldi, external
• Tom Watson plea for sleeper factory plan to feature in HS2 review, external
• Black Country building firm fined £18,000 for unsafe gas job, external

BBC Sport

Stoke City's miserable start to the season continued as they lost 3-1 at Preston North End and are bottom of the Championship after four games.

Image source, Getty Images

The Potters, who have struggled to gain a foothold in the second tier since their relegation from the Premier League in 2017-18, have now gone 10 league games without a win.

Elsewhere, summer signing Kenneth Zohore rescued a point for West Bromwich Albion with a late penalty equaliser to deny Reading a rare away win.

It was Albion's third failure to win at home this season under Slaven Bilic and the Baggies are now sixth.

Rich Davis
BBC Weather presenter

We could be in for a spot of rain this morning with a cloudy start, here's the full forecast:

You can get a latest forecast for your area at any other time by going to the BBC Weather website.