BBC Midlands Today

Climate change protesters from Extinction Rebellion are staging a protest outside the HSBC bank in the centre of Birmingham this afternoon.

They say they want to highlight the bank's environmental and ethical record and disrupt business for the day.

The group describes itself as a "non-violent civil disobedience activist movement".

HSBC says it's committed to helping customers move to a low-carbon economy and has stopped backing new coal-fired power stations in all but three countries.

Plans to turn a former village pub into three homes are being opposed by the Campaign for Real Ale, which says the Cliffe Arms in Mathon belongs in the "premier league" of Herefordshire pubs.

Image source, Google

The Grade II listed building, which dates back to the 17th Century, was turned into a tea room in 2004 and has been completely closed since 2010.

Mathon Parish Council has organised a meeting at the village hall tonight, to discuss the proposal.

Hereford Times

Here are three of the stories featuring in the Hereford Times today:

• Children seen 'laughing and joking' after bikes set on fire, external
• Villagers hit by eight-week road closure hold street party, external
• Singing Rev raises charity cash, external

Neil Harris, 74, was a ballet teacher at the time of the alleged offences, a court heard.

Jennie Aitken
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

A resident who lost all of her belongings in a huge fire at a Grade II-listed manor house has said "my world has gone".

Image source, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service

Jill Sutton was among 20 residents led to safety from apartments at the 18th Century Betley Court, near Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, on Friday.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze, which gutted the building, was started accidentally by work in the roof., external

Allen Cook
BBC News

Midlands MPs have reacted to news that the government has asked the Queen to suspend Parliament just days after MPs return to work in September - and only a few weeks before the Brexit deadline.

Boris Johnson said a Queen's Speech would take place after the suspension, on 14 October, to outline his "very exciting agenda".

But it means the time MPs have to pass laws to stop a no-deal Brexit on 31 October would be cut.

Deputy leader of the Labour Party and West Bromwich East MP Tom Watson called the move, external "an utterly scandalous affront to our democracy".

While Birmingham Edgbaston MP Preet Kaur Gill tweeted , externalit was "an affront to the democratic process" and added "this must not happen".

The Conservative MP for the Wrekin, Mark Pritchard tweeted, external: "If it takes Parliament being prorogued to help deliver Brexit, then so be it. Democracy means delivering on Brexit. The PM is right to take this decision."

And the Conservative MP for Telford, Lucy Allan, wrote on twitter, external: "The ‘Stop Brexit’ brigade have had three years of Parliamentary time on this. Brexit is happening."

The prime minister said he did not want to wait until after Brexit "before getting on with our plans to take this country forward", and insisted there would still be "ample time" for MPs to debate Brexit.

You can follow developments on this breaking news story here on the BBC News website.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Takeaways have been banned from opening within a five minute walk of any school in Coventry.

The city council has announced the move in a bid to get children eating more healthily and it will apply to all new applications to set up hot food outlets.

Image source, Getty Images

The five minute walk will be measured from the gates of any primary or secondary school, including any special school, sixth form college and academy.

Parking enforcement in Telford will be handled by the local authority from 13 January next year.

West Mercia Police has been responsible for handing out penalty notices until now, but Telford and Wrekin Council said it applied to take over because "they often don't have the resources to carry it out".

Image source, Getty Images

The Department for Transport has now granted the council permission to send out its own team of wardens and West Mercia's Police and Crime Commissioner will contribute £200,000 towards the costs for the first four years.

The council says it also wants to tackle the problem of anti-social parking, after getting complaints of people parking on pavements and blocking roads around schools.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Three Worcestershire schools are asking to build extra classrooms to cope with growing demand for places.

Hanley Castle High School (pictured below) already has planning permission to build two classrooms, but has now said it needs to build four, as well as extending the kitchen and dining room

Image source, Google

Kempsey Primary wants to build a new single-storey block with two new classrooms.

And Prince Henry's High School in Evesham is looking to demolish a number of decaying mobile classrooms and replace them with a new two-storey art and design technology block.

Birmingham Live

The Birmingham Live's website is covering these stories today:

• Birmingham rapper shot in suspected burglary at luxury Algarve villa, external
• Mum blasts Blackpool Pleasure Beach for ruining day out with 'unacceptable' sandwich ban, external
• Police hunt for intruder who tried to abduct girl from Walsall home, external

Another West Midlands club which is rising from the ashes has offered its sympathies to the fans, staff and players at Bury football club.

Hereford FC was set up after its predecessor, Hereford United, was wound up in 2014. It tweeted a message of support for Bury:

Louise Hancock
Newsreader, BBC WM

A man who was filmed by the BBC having brain surgery on a tumour while awake says he's been told the cancer is no longer visible.

Surgeons: At the Edge of Life, documented Cameron Ray's operation at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

The 21-year-old had just finished training as an army medic when a tumour the size of a ping pong ball was discovered in his head.

He's now had follow-up scans which he says showed no sign of the cancer, and doctors told him if they saw the same results in three months' time, they'd put him into remission.

Facebook

You've been having your say on the news that a large number of new homes might have to be built on green belt land around Bromsgrove.

The district council accepted it was inevitable, with 6,443 houses needed and 89% of the area in the green belt.

Erica Tarry wrote on the BBC Hereford and Worcester Facebook page, external: "It's so sad what we are doing to our once beautiful world."

Image source, PA Media

Andrew Brown said: "There may need to be a rethink and build better quality high-rise buildings, if that enables a good ratio of people for the ground space taken up."

While Dave Benfield asked: "Why spend and waste money on developing new sites when so much more needs to be done to breathe life into current eyesores?"

And Lou Brooks wrote: "Bromsgrove is already gridlocked. Our infrastructure can’t cope."

BBC Radio Shropshire Sport

AFC Telford United have offered their sympathies to staff, players and supporters of Bury football club, saying the club "suffered once ourselves".

Image source, Getty Images

The old Telford United went bust in 2004 and had to drop down the football pyramid when it re-launched as a fan-owned club.

Bury were expelled by the English Football League this morning after the failure of a takeover bid and AFC Telford United tweeted, external: "You will bounce back."

Nine-year-old Daisy-May Demetre's father says she wants to pave the way for other amputees.

BBC WM

A new police station's being planned in Dudley, according to one of the town's MPs.

Image source, Google

Derelict land off the bypass by Hall Street's been earmarked for the development, Ian Austin's said. , external

Residents have been campaigning for another station after the old one closed in 2017.

BBC Weather Watchers

With a change in weather on the way, bringing outbreaks of rain, proof from our local BBC Weather Watchers that the day did start with blue skies around the region.

These three are from users Hillspirit in Hollybush, Worcestershire, Les at Large in Wolverhampton and Shaun in Gnosall, Staffordshire:

Image source, Hillspirit

Image source, Les at Large

Image source, Shaun

There used to be 1,000 market gardens in Evesham alone but the way of life is disappearing.

West Brom manager Slaven Bilic and Millwall boss Neil Harris could face touchline bans after being sent to the stands on Saturday.

Homes will have to be built on green belt land around Bromsgrove, the leader of the district council has said.

Image source, Worcestershire County Council

The authority is looking for sites for 6,443 more houses for between 2023 and 2041, and Karen May pointed out: "Bromsgrove is 89% green belt, so there will be a need to put some on the green belt."

The council leader said the decision to build on the green belt was "difficult", but said all new housing developments had to be "sustainable" with "a significant level of investment" in infrastructure.