Here's a flavour of the climate change demonstrations in Shrewsbury, which have involved a lot of music and chanting, led by organisers with megaphones.

Several hundred people turned out, including a lot of children.

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

A climate change protest in Coventry has now moved to the city's main square - Broadgate.

Protesters are listening to speeches by trade union officials, and campaign group Extinction Rebellion.

One of the youngest protesters is nine-week-old Maxim with mum Beth.

She said she'd brought him along, "because we want him to have a planet to grow up on.

"I think even if he really doesn't know what's going on, hopefully he'll recognise at least we did something - or we tried to do something for his future."

Andrew Dawkins
BBC News

For some of these 1,000 or so protesters in Birmingham it's the first time they have demonstrated.

For others, including pupils like 15-year-old Dominic, it's the first time he's taken time off school to protest.

"I’m in year 11 so my GCSEs are coming around really quickly," he said.

"I had to fight very hard to get my school to authorise this absence. I’m lucky I had a very supportive head of year. I had to write a letter."

He said the tipping point for him was when he "realised adults weren’t going to fix it" for him, despite being told "since year seven" that climate change would "affect us all".

But he said Greta Thunberg had also been a big inspiration.

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Jess, 14, from Heart of England School in Coventry said she'd sought permission from her head teacher to join today's climate change protest in Coventry.

"We had to go and see her yesterday, but she was really supportive," she said.

"People our age need to take a stand because it's our future."

Lawrence, 14, (pictured above left) said, "regardless of the people who are here today and people who aren't - it's everybody's problem because we're all living here."

"Everybody is going to be affected by this so everybody needs to take action."

"The older generations need to wake up to the younger generation's complaints about climate change," added Issac.

"They need to understand that our future is in both their hands and ours, but they need to stop ignoring it."

Andrew Dawkins
BBC News

The huge crowd in Birmingham is now on the march.

A chant goes up: "What do we want? Climate action.

"When do we want it? Now."

Bear's new owner Angela Underhill says the toy will join her much-loved childhood teddy Ermentrude.

The protests seem to be benefiting from the nice weather.

Bumper crowds are in Birmingham's Victoria Square, as well as in Shrewsbury, Coventry and Hereford.

Climate change protesters are gathering in Shrewsbury town centre this lunchtime.

About 300 have turned up and the organisers say they're "shocked" at how many are in the Square.

Callum Fone from Extinction Rebellion said: “I’m feeling overwhelmed. The turnout has been insane."

He said the numbers were "far more than any other previous strike we’ve had”.

Andrew Dawkins
BBC News

Possibly a thousand people are in Birmingham's Victoria Square to support a protest against climate change, many of them schoolchildren and families.

Composer Sarah Baker from Kings Heath told me three of her daughters would be at the protest, two of them missing school. She said they would be there with her "approval".

"What's the point of education if there's no planet. We've been told we've got 12 years [to save it]," she said.

Sarah said her inspiration had been Greta Thunberg, who had "showed one small person could galvanise a world and make political change".

"If we all make changes, together we can make a difference. But without political change our small acts aren't enough," she said.

Schools minister Nick Gibb denies Dame Louise Casey's accusation of inaction over protests.

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

More than 100 people have gathered outside the council house in Coventry to protest about climate change.

Ten-year-old Adam from Park Hill school is among those protesting.

He said it was important to come down today to "pressure politicians to act".

"I'd like to see them cut down on single-use plastics and try and stop carbon emissions," he added.

Mum Gemma said his school had been "very supportive".

"They've asked him to bring back some photos and think about what they could do so help."

Hundreds, possibly thousands of campaigners have started to gather at climate change protests across the West Midlands.

We're hearing of events in Birmingham, Coventry, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Worcester and Stoke.

Warwickshire head coach Jim Troughton believes England hopeful Dominic Sibley is the "best red-ball opener in the country".

BBC Radio Stoke Sport

Stoke City manager Nathan Jones has said he's "frustrated" that his team selection has been leaked online ahead of a number of games this season.

The club said it thought the issue had been dealt with, but Jones said: "We don't know where they come from and if it comes from certain avenues then we'll be very disappointed in that."

Image source, Getty Images

Jones added, "it shouldn't really happen in football", but accepted it was hard to stop because "people know people" and there are a lot of different ways the information can get out.

The NHS trust that runs Worcestershire Royal Hospital could be lifted out of special measures.

After an inspection this summer, the Care Quality Commission says it's found significant improvements at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch and Kidderminster Hospital, although it says staffing levels at Worcestershire Royal still need to be improved.

Image source, Google

NHS England is now considering a recommendation that Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs all three sites, should be taken out of special measures, as long as extra support is put in place first.

Worcester's MP, Robin Walker called it "a hugely welcome step forward".

Worcester News

Here are three of the main stories from the Worcester News today:

• Climate change protest in Worcester, external
• Hospital trust set to come out of special measures, external
• Concerns over gym's opening hours, external

A climate change protest in Worcester that was holding up rush-hour traffic is over.

The Extinction Rebellion campaigners packed up at about 10:00 after stopping cars coming over Worcester Bridge for up to seven minutes at a time.

The demonstrators said they knew their protest would upset some people, but they felt their message about climate change was important.

BBC News Travel

A broken-down train is delaying rail services between Birmingham Snow Hill and Whitlocks End.

BBC Radio Stoke

A 19-year-old man has been arrested after a woman's body was found in Tamworth last night.

The discovery was made in the Roman Way area just after 21:00 after an ambulance was called out to reports of someone in the water near Edgar Close.

Image source, Staffordshire Police

Paramedics arrived to find the woman, but said nothing could be done to save her.

The man, who police say was arrested in connection with the death, remains in custody.

Facebook

There's a real debate going on about the Worcester climate change protest that has been blocking a road this morning.

Elaine Nanny Hall wrote on the BBC Hereford and Worcester Facebook page: "I’m all for the right to protest but for god sake stop making the day to day life for people more awkward."

But Neil Franks pointed out it wasn't really a long delay for commuters, writing: "Seven minutes. I think they will survive. Future generations might not if we don't take climate change seriously."

A lot of people were taking issue with the way the protesters were making their point and Pat Weaver wrote: "It would be be better for the environment if they protest by the side of the road."

But Shaz Ronnie Harvey was supporting them and commented: "Well done for making a stand."