Local Democracy Reporting Service

Rail passengers in the West Midlands can expect new carriages, better waiting rooms and a direct service from Walsall to London Euston, when the West Coast rail franchise changes hands at the end of the year.

First Group and Italian state operator Trenitalia will run the franchise between 2019 and 2031. A report due to go before the West Midlands Combined Authority has set out the expected changes.

Other improvements promised by the new operators include:

• Refurbished first class lounges at Birmingham New Street
• Free station wi-fi at six more stations
• New ticket vending machines
• More direct services to London from Shrewsbury
• More car parking at Birmingham International

A man who was stabbed in Frankley may have been chased by three men, police have said this morning. , external

The 21-year-old's now in a serious but stable condition after the attack on New Street, Frankley, last night.

The force said it believed one of the three men may have been on a bike before the assault.

BBC Shropshire

Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski has said "no child should feel sinful or wrong for being gay".

He's due to speak in a Westminster Hall debate today about educating children in LGBT acceptance.

He said this morning he was brought up in a "strict Roman Catholic family" in Poland and was taught that "homosexuality was wrong, it was a sin and that any deviance from the norm was abhorrent and to be avoided at all costs".

The Conservative politician is in a same-sex relationship himself and plans to talk about his own sexuality and "coming out in his 40s".

He has described the moment he told his local Conservative association the news and revealed, "I was on the train from London to Shrewsbury and was actually praying that the train would break down. I didn't want to face having to tell them."

But he said he was given a standing ovation and that he doesn't want any children to feel "scared" about their feelings.

Coventry Live

Here are three of the headlines from the Coventry Live website today:

• An outdoor swimming pool is going to be built in Coventry, external
• Business loses licence after tobacco found in 'secret compartments', external
• Sick 'HIV positive' thief threatened store staff with needles, external

BBC Sport

The Shrewsbury Town manager Sam Ricketts said the way his team threw away a one-goal lead against Port vale last night "wasn't good enough" and called it a "lacklustre display".

But his Port Vale counterpart, John Askey said it was "really pleasing" to see how his fringe-players reacted to being given a chance in the EFL Trophy game.

Image source, Getty Images

Shrewsbury had led the game through a first-half goal from Josh Laurent, but Port Vale equalised through a David Amoo penalty and then Jordan Archer found a winner in the 75th minute.

Motoring and cycling specialists Halfords has reported a fall in sales, blaming bad weather as well as "political and economic uncertainty".

The Redditch-based firm said customer spending on a like-for-like basis had fallen by 3.2% in the 20 weeks to the middle of August. Sales of motoring parts fell 5.9%.

Image source, Getty Images

The company reported growth in its services, online and business-to-business arms, but it was more than offset by heavy declines elsewhere.

Shares in the group fell 4.8%.

An air rifle or pellet gun has been used to shatter three glass panels on Telford's new footbridge.

Telford and Wrekin Council said it had probably been fired from Silkin Way, below the bridge, and called it "a calculated act of mindless vandalism".

Image source, Telford and Wrekin Council

The local authority said the attacks had taken place over the past three months and that it had increased CCTV coverage in the hope of catching the person responsible.

BBC Shropshire

Plans to build two new schools on community land in Shrewsbury are going to be discussed this morning.

Image source, Google

The proposals are to place them in the Bowbrook area , externalwhere a lot of new houses are being built.

Shropshire Council's cabinet is meeting at 11:00 , externaland will decide whether to move forward with the plans and ask the full council to approve releasing the land.

While the council would pay for a new primary school on the site, the local authority hopes the government will fund a new special school next door.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

The Stoke-on-Trent Live website's headlines today include:

• Dog owner's heartfelt apology as he wins court appeal to save lives of his Staffies, external
• Jail for burglar caught with hunting knife after raiding nine homes, external
• Stoke-on-Trent schools criticised for refusing to offer pupils a plac, externale

Sophie Calvert
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

Cheshire MP Antoinette Sandbach said rebelling against Boris Johnson was hard but "there are critical times when you have to do what is right, external".

The Eddisbury MP was one of 21 Tory MPs who voted against the government last nightin a move designed to rule out a no-deal Brexit.

It means another vote today that could force the prime minister to seek a delay to Brexit and the latest 31 October deadline.

Following the result, Ms Sandbach tweeted that the whip had been taken away from her, effectively expelling her from the parliamentary party.

She added she had rebelled "no matter what the personal consequences" and "most of my constituents would have supported, external a "soft" Brexit however they voted not a no deal".

Bobby Humphries' parents feared he would not go back to school after being told of treatment risks.

The notebook features pictures and details on criminals and people of interest from the 1950s.

Rob Mayor
Political reporter, BBC WM

Stourbridge MP Margot James said voting against the government last night was "the most difficult decision I've ever had to make".

The former minister was one of 21 Tory MPs in rebelling as the Commons voted to take control of the Brexit agenda and try to bring a bill today asking for a delay.

"I've only rebelled once against a three line whip in all the nine years I've been in Parliament. I am by nature loyal to my party and my colleagues," she said.

After the vote, Mrs James told BBC WM she was called by the chief whip to tell her the whip was being removed, effectively expelling her from the parliamentary party.

She said she hadn't decided if she would stand as an independent candidate in the next election, but didn't want to stand down from Parliament.

Image source, Reuters

BBC WM

Four men have been arrested as part of the investigation into a crash in Wolverhampton in which two young brothers died.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Pawanveer Singh, aged 23 months, and 10-year-old Sanjay were with their mum in a BMW when it was involved in a collision in March.

West Midlands Police said the driver of an Audi fled the aftermath.

The men, aged 22, 23, 28 and 31, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and released under investigation., external

BBC Midlands Today

Pupils will return to lessons today at two primary schools in Birmingham which have been the focus of a row about equality teachings which touch upon LGBT relationships.

Image source, Getty Images

The No Outsiders programme at Parkfield Community School sparked protests, which spread to Anderton Park Primary School, with parents claiming the teachings were not "age appropriate".

Over the summer, Parkfield said the suspended equality programme would re-launch this month in a new version, designed to respect parental concerns.

This week, the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said schools will be supported to carry on teaching about relationships and there was no place for protests at school gates.

BBC News England

A baby was hit with an egg in a racially-aggravated drive-by attack, police believe.

Image source, Google

A woman was crossing the road with her baby in a pushchair when someone threw eggs at them from a vehicle near Shrub Hill Retail Park, Worcester.

The nine-month-old baby, sustained reddening to the face, but was otherwise unharmed.

The mother, who was uninjured, was attacked at about 11:30 BST, West Mercia Police said.

Allen Cook
BBC News

A man has been attacked and stabbed in Frankley.

The 21-year-old was attacked on New Road, yesterday evening, West Midlands Police said. , external

They say they believe he was assaulted by three men.

Express and Star

The Express and Star's headlines today include:

• Chase Line service scrapped over complaints, external
• Raider in terrifying robbery jailed after pensioner injured, external
• West Midlands Mayor welcomes plan for 40 homes set aside to help rough sleepers, external

BBC Politics

MPs Margot James and Antoinette Sandbach have been effectively expelled from the Conservative Party after rebelling against Boris Johnson.

Image source, EPA

The prime minister lost his first vote as PM as the Commons voted 328 to 301 to take control of the agenda over a no-deal Brexit.

It allows them now to bring a bill requesting a delay.You can follow coverage of that on the BBC Politics live page.

Stourbridge MP and former minister Margot James has been highly critical of no deal on social media while Eddisbury MP Antoinette Sandbach said it was "important to act" to stop any chance of no deal.

Both MPs also rebelled against the government in July in a vote designed to block a shutdown of Parliament.

Downing Street said the 21 Tory MPs who rebelled in Tuesday's vote would have the whip removed, effectively expelling them from the parliamentary party and meaning they could not stand as Conservative candidates in the election.

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

It may start with rain but a mainly dry morning with spells of sunshine, here's the full forecast for today:

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