BBC Sport

Coventry City manager Mark Robins wasn't impressed with last night's Football League Trophy match away to Forest Green Rovers and said: "I think the atmosphere was dead."

His side lost 8-7 on penalties after the match ended 0-0 and Robins added: "It's one of those times when you've got to try and lift your performance."

Image source, Getty Images

The result leaves Coventry third in their group with three points.

Shropshire Star

Here are three stories from the Shropshire Star today:

• Dangerous driver jailed for two-and-a-half years, external
• Nearly 100 new police officers to be hired, external
• Gridlock fear over visit of archbishop, external

Allen Cook
BBC News

A man's been seriously hurt in what police have described as a drive-by shooting.

Image source, Google

West Midlands Police said, external a dark coloured 4x4 stopped alongside the 21-year-old on Mallin Street, Smethwick, last night.

He was shot at and the car then drove off, leaving the victim with a serious eye injury.

Officers say part of Highbury Road at the junction with Mallin Street remains cordoned off this morning.

BBC Midlands Today

A Polish folk, song and dance group is celebrating 70 years of entertaining the community in Birmingham and beyond this weekend.

Wiesniacy was set up in 1949 by first-generation Poles who made the city their home after World War Two.

Since then, the troupe has been preserving and promoting Polish culture and, on Saturday, it's holding a celebration at Birmingham's Bramall Hall., external

BBC WM Sport

Wolves striker Raul Jimenez says the stamina the team showed to beat Besiktas and Manchester City in three days is what they'll need to keep showing for the rest of the season.

Image source, Getty Images

Both victories, in the Europa League and then over the Premier League champions, were away from home and kick-started what had been a faltering season.

Wolves had started the week in the bottom three of the league and had lost their opening match in the Europa League.

BBC Midlands Today

The time it takes to repair potholes in Stoke-on-Trent is set to increase.

The city council's approved plans to increase the window for responses to emergency work from two to four hours.

Crews will also have seven days to deal with potholes that pose a risk to public safety, rather than the end of the next working day.

The council says the timescales reflect current national policy.

BBC Shropshire

Plans for two fire services to enter a formal alliance are going to be discussed later.

Shropshire's fire brigade has had a loose partnership with their neighbours in Herefordshire and Worcestershire since autumn last year.

It's so far focused on IT resource-sharing as well as risk management planning.

Now, Shropshire's fire authority's being asked to approve a draft agreement to formalise the arrangement and commit both services to closer collaboration in the future. , external

The Hereford and Worcester fire authority is due to meet to discuss the proposals later this month.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

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

• Angry dad calls for parent to be banned from school after playground clash with son, external
• Teenage prisoners leave young victim in intensive care after launching vicious attack at jail, external
• Emotional tribute from best friend of holidaymaker who died in double drowning, external

BBC Midlands Today

Plans to redirect £5.5m into children's services to deal with "unprecedented demand" have been approved by a council's cabinet., external

Image source, Getty Images

The proposals by Stoke-on-Trent City Council will see 162 jobs lost and 86 vacant posts scrapped to fund the additional money.

The move follows an Ofsted report in March which found vulnerable children were "not being protected" and rated services inadequate.

The council says it's proposing creating 138 new jobs in children's services and the proposals will now go for full council approval next week.

BBC Midlands Today

Police forces across the West Midlands will be able to recruit 590 new officers in the first year of a government pledge to hire an extra 20,000 by 2022.

The Home Office has set out recruitment targets for the first year with West Midlands Police given the biggest of 366.

Warwickshire will be able to hire an extra 41, Staffordshire 90 and West Mercia 93.

Home Office figures show that forces in England and Wales lost 20,564 officers between March 2010 and March 2019.

Boris Johnson pledged the extra 20,000 officers earlier this year although the College of Policing at the time warned of "logistical challenges", partly because of concerns of a lack of instructors for training.

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

A man's been left with serious injuries after an incident in Nantwich.

Image source, Google

The 40-year-old was assaulted in Blagg Avenue on Monday evening, Cheshire Police said. , external

Three people, two men and a female, were seen leaving the house shortly after the incident.

The victim is in hospital with serious head injuries and his condition is said to be stable.

Officers said a 39-year-old man from Nantwich has been arrested over the attack and remains in custody but police are appealing for witnesses to get in touch.

Express and Star

From the Express and Star this morning:

• Taxi drivers slam 'poorly-designed' access road at Wolverhampton train station, external
• Birmingham New Road works bring traffic disruption, external
• Hospital pledge on ambulance logjam, external

Sima Kotecha
Today programme

The government has issued advice to local authorities on dealing with protests outside schools over LGBT-inclusive teaching.

The 21-page document, seen by the BBC, lays out how councils should support teachers to minimise disruption.

It comes after continued protests outside schools in Birmingham against the teaching of LGBT relationships.

The Department for Education (DfE) said it was working to ensure authorities had information to support schools.

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

After a damp start in places, today should stay mainly dry but breezy.

You can keep up-to-date with the latest weather forecast for your area at any other time by going to the BBC Weather website.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Wednesday.

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

The leaked document advises councils on handling disruption over the teaching of LGBT relationships.

Andy Giddings
BBC News

We'll be back with the news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 tomorrow.

There were 12 reports of illegal butchery in Northamptonshire over the summer.

BBC Radio Stoke Sport

Port Vale manager John Askey has said he'd like to extend Jake Taylor's loan from Nottingham Forest.

The midfielder joined for an initial six months and Askey said "he's done really well" and praised his work rate and technical ability, but added he could still learn more.

Image source, Getty Images

Askey said the loan extension might depend on interest from elsewhere, and explained: "The problem you've got is if someone's doing well, then teams from higher leagues might want to take him."

Rich Davis
BBC Weather presenter

It should be a mainly dry night with the odd shower and lows of 11C (52F).