'They threw a stone at me and told me to go home'published at 15:06 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
Victims of hate crime have become ambassadors of a new project aimed at calling out abuse.
Read MoreSummary
Updates from Monday 14 October to Sunday 20 October
'They threw a stone at me and told me to go home'published at 15:06 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
Man jailed for life for street murderpublished at 14:56 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
Breaking
Allen Cook
BBC NewsA man's been jailed for life for murdering a youth mentor in Birmingham.
Earlier today, Hamed Hussein, 19, of no fixed abode, was convicted of stabbing Jordan Moazami to death in Harborne in April.
This afternoon, he was jailed for life and told he'd serve a minimum of 19 years behind bars.
Your photos: Cloudy skies over beautiful viewspublished at 14:53 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
We've combined some of the spectacular scenery in the West Midlands here with the cloudy skies around this morning in our BBC Weather Watchers' photos.
These are from users Mr Twister in Leek, Staffordshire, Skye in Clee Hill, Shropshire and Retired Trev in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire:
Image source, Mr Twister
Image source, Skye
Image source, Retired TrevIn the papers: Drugs arrest after police pursuitpublished at 14:39 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
The stories being covered today by the Worcester News include:
Plaque celebrates iconic Italian Job scenepublished at 14:22 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
A small piece of British cinematic history has been celebrated in Coventry this lunchtime.
To make 50 years since the release of The Italian Job, a plaque has been installed at a sewer in the Stoke Aldemoor area where a short part of the iconic mini car-chase was filmed.
The exact spot was pinpointed by former pub landlord Kevin Conway (pictured below), who spent 16 months talking to the original film crew and one of the stuntmen.
Image source, Kevin ConwayThe 10-second sequence was shot in a 470m section of the 10-mile long Sowe Valley Duplicator System and Paramount paid the local authority £1,000 for use of the tunnel, which was still under construction at the time.
The plaque can be found at the spot where the cars were lowered into the tunnel by crane, and because the sewer is still operational, it will be above ground.
Children's social care services facing £10m overspendpublished at 14:10 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl JacksonRising numbers of children needing care in Birmingham has pushed the cost of the service into a potential £10m overspend.
Image source, PA MediaThe city council's resources committee heard the figures had increased from 1,630 youngsters last year to 1,990 as of last month, leading to spiralling costs this financial year.
The local authority handed responsibility for social care services to Birmingham Children's Trust in April 2018.
Councillors heard the council was working hard to balance out the budget with the trust which was already looking to find ways to cut the overspend to £6m.
Arrests after burglaries which targeted elderlypublished at 13:54 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
Two women, aged 75 and 87, were targeted during a break-in spree, West Midlands Police said.
Read MoreRugby: Wasps and Worcester prepare for start of seasonpublished at 13:46 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
BBC SportWasps and Worcester Warriors will both be hoping to finish higher in the Premiership season as the opening games begin this weekend.
Image source, Getty ImagesLast season, Wasps finished eighth and host newly promoted London Irish on Sunday.
Director of Rugby Dai Young said they'd be without Tom Willis and Thomas Young for the game. , external
While Worcester, who ended up 10th in May, will start tomorrow by hosting Leicester Tigers.
For the Warriors, Sam Lewis and Andrew Kitchener are both carrying injuries and both are expected to miss out.
Series of crashes affect West Midlandspublished at 13:30 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
There's been a string of crashes this morning, in West Bromwich, Coventry and Nuneaton, in some cases causing serious injury.
These photos were taken by West Midlands Fire Service from another crash on Hodgetts Lane near Balsall Common outside Solihull.
Image source, West Midlands Fire Service
Image source, West Midlands Fire ServiceIn the papers: Thousands raised for brain tumour dadpublished at 13:18 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
A few of the stories making the headlines on the Shropshire Star website:
Bottom-squeeze doctor suspended for misconductpublished at 13:07 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
Dr Colin Gelder has 28 days to appeal the decision of The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service.
Read MoreFour arrested over break-ins targeting elderly peoplepublished at 13:00 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
Allen Cook
BBC NewsFour men have been arrested over a spate of violent burglaries over nine days in the West Midlands.
The men, aged 43, 28, 25 and 20, were arrested last night on suspicion of conspiracy to burgle in the Goldthorn area of Wolverhampton and are still in custody, police said.
Six of break-ins took place in 24 hours with an 89-year-old man threatened with a brick and pushed over and an 84-year-old man sprayed with a substance after men kicked open his door.
They've happened in Wolverhampton, Walsall, Smethwick and Tipton.
The force says the men are still in custody and add they believe there may be other suspects they have yet to track down.
Campaign under way to save indoor skate parkpublished at 12:45 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
Hanley skaters are appealing for business support after a rent hike at their centre.
Read MoreMan convicted of murdering youth mentor on streetpublished at 12:44 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
BreakingAllen Cook
BBC NewsA man been found guilty of murdering a youth mentor in a street fight.
Image source, FacebookHamed Hussein, 19, stabbed Jordan Moazami to death in Harborne, Birmingham, in April.
Mr Moazami, 18, died after a fight broke out following a row about drugs. Birmingham Crown Coutr heard.
Jurors found Hussein, of no fixed abode, guilty following a trial and he'll be sentenced this afternoon.
The jury were earlier directed by the judge to find co-defendant Moshood Giwa, 20, of Dimsdale Road, Birmingham, not guilty of murder.
He was also found not guilty of manslaughter.
Suspension for doctor who squeezed nurse's bottompublished at 12:29 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
A doctor who squeezed a nurse's bottom and then blamed his behaviour on a reaction to a pet-calming remedy has been suspended from the medical register for two months.
Dr Colin Gelder was working at a hospital in Coventry in 2017 when he groped his colleague and also made inappropriate comments to another female worker.
The nurse said his actions had left her feeling "violated".
A medical tribunal found Dr Gelder's fitness to practise was impaired by reason of his misconduct and suspended his registration for two months, to start after a 28-day appeal period.
In the papers: Anger as killer moved to open prisonpublished at 12:06 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
Stoke-on-Trent LiveThe Stoke-on-Trent Live website's headlines today include:
Pedestrian seriously injured in crashpublished at 11:50 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
A woman has been seriously injured after being hit by a car in Coventry this morning.
The pedestrian was struck at the junction of Far Gosford Street and Binley Road shortly after 08:00.
She was treated for multiple serious injuries before being taken to hospital, said the ambulance service.
Call to halt £312m shake-up of hospitalspublished at 11:36 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
BBC ShropshireCouncillors in Telford have unanimously called for a major shake-up of hospital services in Shropshire to be halted.
In a vote last night by Telford and Wrekin Council, both the ruling Labour group and opposition parties again backed a motion to stop the NHS's Future Fit programme.
Image source, SaTHUnder the plan, the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital will be home to the county's main emergency unit, while the existing A&E at Telford's Princess Royal will be downgraded.
Maternity and women and children's services will similarly be centralised in Shrewsbury, while Telford will specialise in elective surgery, orthopaedics and specialist bariatric and breast services.
Earlier this month, Health Secretary Matt Hancock backed the scheme after the council had asked the government to review them.
Following the vote, the local authority's now going to officially make their case to ministers, following in the footsteps of Telford's Conservative MP Lucy Allan who also opposes the plan, external.
Airline expands Birmingham Airport offeringpublished at 11:14 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
New routes to Skiathos and Barcelona from Birmingham Airport are to be introduced by airline Jet2, the company has announced. , external
Image source, Getty ImagesAn additional three aircraft are to be added to its fleet for summer 2020 increasing capacity from the airport by 23%, it said.
The tour operator said it had also added weekly flights to a wide range of destinations including Spain, Cyprus and Greece.
The launch of weekly services to Skiathos will run from 13 of May to 30 September.
Council agrees to reopen leisure centrepublished at 11:00 British Summer Time 18 October 2019
Allen Cook
BBC NewsA community group says it will "work even harder, external" to get a leisure centre reopened after getting council backing.
Kidsgrove Sports Centre closed in 2017 , externaldue to increasing costs, with Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council at the time saying it needed £2.4m spending over seven years.
But a number of people weren't happy at the move and set up a group to look at reopening part of the facility, but not the swimming pool due to costs.
This week, the council backed new proposals, external which included a "phased" reopening of the pool as estimated costs of £3.26m were lower than originally thought.
The authority's now setting up an all-party panel to make a formal recommendation on reopening the centre to the full council., external
