Updates from Monday 2 September to Sunday 8 September
BBC Radio Stoke
A woman in her 80s was pushed to the floor during a robbery in a shop in Stoke-on-Trent.
Cash and cigarettes were stolen from a newsagents on Lichfield Street, Hanley on Tuesday, police said.
A 28-year-old man has been arrested and released under investigation.
BBC WM Sport
Walsall manager Darrell Clarke says he's trying to make sure his players don't have a negative mindset despite their poor start to the season.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Saddlers have won only one of their six games this season and head to Colchester tomorrow.
Quote MessageYou don't get anywhere feeling sorry for yourself and moping around the place, you pick your heads up, you put your chests out, you take your flak, you take your stick and then you rebuild and a lot of that focus is making sure the players are mentally prepared at every game, not fearing failure."
Darrell Clarke, Walsall manager
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Stoke City defender Nathan Collins could become their permanent captain one day, according to one of the club's coaches.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe 18-year-old's already skippered the Potters twice this season.
Quote MessageThe boy's a very mature boy with a good head on his shoulders. Every kind of obstacle you give him, he seems to deal with it. I think in the future he'll be a captain for a long time."
Kevin Russell, Stoke City coach
Fire broke out in a bedroom of a house in north Staffordshire yesterday evening.
Firefighters were called out just before 20:00 to a property on Princess Street in Talke Pits.
Everyone was accounted for, said the fire service.
Image source, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Image source, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather
It will be a cloudy day with some rain and highs of 18C (64F).
Latest weather for the West Midlands
Vanessa Pearce
BBC News
Welcome to our live service for Friday.
We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather for the West Midlands.
You can get in touch via email, Twitter, external and Facebook., external
Opening weekend crowds will set new Women's Super League records, as World Cup stars return to league action.
Read MoreThe MP compares a doctor with concerns about medical supplies to a discredited anti-MMR campaigner.
Read MoreSuper-heavyweight Frazer Clarke feels ready to make his World Boxing Championships debut having feared his career was over in 2017.
Read MoreConservative Caroline Spelman says she has to consider the welfare of her staff.
Read MoreWest Midlands Police has named the victim as 46-year-old Karen Dacre.
Read MoreThe MP of 22 years says she wanted a deal for Britain to leave the EU in an "orderly fashion".
Read MoreThe Premier League will assess whether the sale of Villa Park to Aston Villa's owners breached financial fair play rules.
Read MoreWe'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 tomorrow, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening and into the morning.
BBC One
On BBC One this evening, Panorama will go behind the scenes of the biggest slavery network ever discovered in Britain.
Image source, West Midlands PolicePolice believe more than 400 victims were put to work in the West Midlands by the organised crime gang.
Earlier this summer, eight people were jailed for their part after tricking vulnerable people from Poland to England with the promise of work and a better life.
Panorama, The Hunt for Britain's Slave Gangs is on BBC One at 21:00.
Cheshire Live - Crewe
The Cheshire Live website for Crewe's covering these stories today:
Fellow Solihull MP Julian Knight has paid tribute to Dame Caroline Spelman after she announced her retirement.
He said his Tory colleague, who has held the Meriden seat since 1997, had worked hard for her constituency and had helped him personally since he first entered Parliament six years ago.
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Jennie Aitken
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
A woman who lost her home in a fire at a retirement complex has had a "really difficult" month since the blaze, her daughter's said.
Image source, Cheshire Fire and Rescue ServiceThe apartments at Beechmere, Crewe, were destroyed in a blaze which swept through the building on 8 August.
Claire Bagnall's mum Norma was a resident and she said she's trying not to focus on what was lost in the fire.
"The worst thing is some photographs and my dad's wedding ring and her sister's jewellery. They were the things that have hit her hardest," she said.
Cheshire Fire Service said the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
The BBC Weather Watchers have been out and about in force today, capturing views from across the West Midlands.
These three are from users NightNurse in Kineton, Warwickshire, Terragait in West Hagley, Worcestershire and Sarahlou86 in Stone, Staffordshire:
Image source, NightNurse
Image source, Terragait
Image source, Sarahlou86Explosives experts have been brought in after a suspicious item was found in a building in Nuneaton this afternoon.
Image source, GooglePart of Alexandra Road was cordoned off while officers sought advice, external but they confirmed it was harmless and reopened the street.
The force seized an imitation gun, cash and drugs after searching the building and arrested a 22-year-old man on suspicion of possessing a firearm and possession of drugs.
