Jobs to go to fund children's servicespublished at 19:38 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
Conservative leader Abi Brown says the redirected funds will make a huge difference to children.
Read MoreSummary
Updates from Monday 14 October to Sunday 20 October
Jobs to go to fund children's servicespublished at 19:38 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
Bottom-squeeze doctor blamed pet-calming remedypublished at 19:38 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
Dr Colin Gelder claimed he was "high" and not "thinking rationally" when he fondled a nurse.
Read MoreOur live coverage across the daypublished at 19:00 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
We'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.
Tribute to man hit by carpublished at 18:52 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
The family of a man who died after being hit by a car in Wolverhampton say he will be loved and missed "always".
Paul Mazs, from the city, was struck by a Land Rover Freelander on Sunday on Tettenhall Road, police said.
Image source, West Midlands PoliceThe 54-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.
A tribute's been released , externalwhich adds he "will be missed by all his family".
Officers said the driver of the Land Rover was helping them with their investigation.
Police hunt men after 29 burglaries in nine dayspublished at 18:48 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
Elderly residents, some in their late 80s, are being threatened and attacked, say detectives.
Read MoreOutside operator to run Wolverhampton's Civic Hallpublished at 18:40 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
Local Democracy Reporting ServiceWolverhampton Council is looking to appoint an external operator to run the city’s Civic Halls when it reopens in autumn 2021, following a major revamp.
Image source, City of Wolverhampton CouncilThe £38m project to redevelop the Civic Hall and adjoining Wulfrun Hall came to a halt earlier this year when the previous contractors Shaylors went into administration, but new developers Wilmott Dixon have since been appointed.
The firm is carrying out structural, engineering and electrical works. A second balcony is set to be added to the Civic Hall and a balcony is also being installed in the Wulfrun Hall to provide additional seating.
Image source, City of Wolverhampton CouncilOnce completed, council leader Ian Brookfield today confirmed that it would be run by an external group and would be holding talks with possible promoters.
Quote MessageThe works will make the halls a world-class venue, enabling them to attract significantly more popular and prestigious entertainment acts, while retaining the current characteristics that make them popular with performers, producers and audiences."
Councillor Ian Brookfield
Theme park faces prosecution over girl's deathpublished at 18:33 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
Evha Jannath, 11, died after falling from Drayton Manor's Splash Canyon water ride in 2017.
Read MoreClerk who stole £200k from council told to repay £27kpublished at 18:27 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
Allen Cook
BBC NewsA council worker who stole more than £200,000 to fund holidays and equipment for horses has been ordered to pay back nearly £27,000 or face more time in prison.
Image source, FacebookIn June, assistant town clerk Rebecca Mason, 42, was jailed for four years after admitting transferring money from Rugeley Town Council's reserves.
Between February 2017 and December 2018, she took £218,000 in 242 separate payments.
Today at Stafford Crown Court, Mason, of School Walk, Burntwood, Staffordshire, was ordered to pay back £26,857 to the council within three months or her prison sentence would be extended by a year.
City's only Grade I listed building 'on road to recovery'published at 18:13 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
Allen Cook
BBC NewsThe only Grade I listed building in Stoke-on-Trent could be saved, heritage organisation Historic England has said.
Image source, Historic EnglandThe latest At Risk Register features 35 sites in Staffordshire on it.
They include the 19th Century-built Trentham Mausoleum, external, the resting place of the Dukes of Sutherland which has faced an uncertain future.
But Historic England said the city council took over responsibility, cleared trees and, while it's still "at risk", a Friends of Trentham Mausoleum group is working to bring it into use.
However, one building added to the list is the 19th Century Sandfields Pumping Station, external, in Lichfield, which is described as being "vulnerable to vandalism".
Council jobs to be cut to fund children's servicespublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
Vicky Norton
BBC Radio StokeProposals to cut the equivalent of about 200 jobs at Stoke-on-Trent have been approved this afternoon , externalto meet increased demand for its children's services.
The council is losing the roles so it can redirect £5.5m to deal with rising numbers of vulnerable youngsters, many of them in care.
Ahead of the full council meeting this afternoon, which approved the plans, the GMB union warned the cuts could put more pressure on other staff.
Councillor Abi Brown, Conservative leader of the coalition-run local authority, admitted it was a "challenge" but she would urge senior staff to think carefully over who takes voluntary redundancy so services don't struggle.
In the papers: Charity shop damaged by burglarspublished at 17:43 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
The Kidderminster Shuttle's headlines today include:
Your photos: Blue skies continue todaypublished at 17:29 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
The blue skies have continued for much of the West Midlands, at least from the look of the photos that have kept coming from our BBC Weather Watchers.
These three are from users Mikesnapper in Worcester, Graham's Views in Telford, Shropshire and Jeff in Stoke-on-Trent:
Image source, Mikesnapper
Image source, Graham's Views
Image source, JeffCrumbling brickwork puts listed building 'at risk'published at 17:17 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
A Grade II listed building in Shropshire has been added to a list of sites at risk of being lost.
Image source, GoogleThe latest At Risk Register's been revealed by Historic England and includes 100 sites in the county.
They include the three-storey Park House, in Wem, , externalwhich has been added this year.
Historic England said a large section of brickwork's fallen out, exposing the inner building to the weather and discussions are on-going between the local council and leaseholders.
Drayton Manor face HSE prosecution over deathpublished at 17:04 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
BreakingAllen Cook
BBC NewsA theme park will be prosecuted under health and safety laws after a girl died on a water ride.
Image source, Family handoutEvha Jannath, 11, from Leicester, was on a school trip when she fell from the Splash Canyon ride at Drayton Manor on 9 May 2017 and died of chest injuries.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the park would face face a charge under Section three of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
The HSE added criminal proceedings would start after an inquest into the death was heard and it's due to take place next month.
Professor ranked one of most influential in engineeringpublished at 16:57 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
A professor of engineering from Aston University has been named one of the most influential women in the field.
Image source, Dawn BonfieldDawn Bonfield, Professor of Inclusive Engineering, has been placed at number two in the top 100 Most Influential Women in the Engineering Sector.
The rankings were announced in the Financial Times , externalearlier.
The visiting professor, who's also Director of Engineering Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, said she was "honoured to be included in this list of women engineers".
Quote MessageApart from anything else I am really excited to meet some of these other women and learn more about their work. Each of them brings their own unique perspective and skill set to our sector so admirably. I really hope these stories will inspire others to follow in their footsteps."
Professor Dawn Bonfield
Video: What's the weather got in store?published at 16:43 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
Alex Hamilton
BBC WeatherIt will be a wet night with showers and longer spells of rain with lows of 7C (45F).
Media caption, Latest weather for the West Midlands
PCC 'concerned' at rise in knife crimepublished at 16:28 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
Placing youth workers in A&E departments and introducing violence awareness workshops are some of the projects that will be used to tackle a rise in knife crime, said the region's police chief.
Knife crimes in areas covered by West Midlands Police have increased by 20%, new figures reveal.
The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson, said he continued to be concerned at an increase in violent crime in the region.
A new £4m Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), being held in the West Midlands police area, will expand current projects and develop new ones, he said.
Additional resources announced by the government for the force recently are, "of course, welcome," he said, but "these additional officers will be a long way off replacing what we have already lost".
In the papers: Biker badly hurt in car crashpublished at 16:12 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
The Hereford Times is covering these stories today:
CCTV released after thousands stolen in cash box robberypublished at 15:55 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
CCTV footage has been released, external of a man police would like to speak to after a driver trasporting cash was attacked and robbed in Birmingham.
Image source, West Midlands PoliceA cash box containing thousands of pounds was stolen during the robbery on Axletree Way, Wednesbury.
The suspect was wearing a high-vis boiler suit and left in a black Ford C-Max, stolen from the Northfield area two days before, police said.
It's asking for anyone with information about the 12 August incident to come forward.
Speed limit cuts and extra cameras planpublished at 15:35 British Summer Time 17 October 2019
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl JacksonSpeed limits on all residential streets could be cut to 20mph in Birmingham – while the council also wants to increase the number of speed cameras across the city.
The proposed safety measures are further revelations from the Birmingham Transport Plan.
Image source, Birmingham City CouncilThe document, which is due for publication and consultation next month, has already caused a stir due to other ideas to ban cars driving through the city centre and closing the A38 tunnels to all but buses, trams and cyclists.
Now it has been revealed the council’s long-term vision is to roll out 20mph limits as a "default speed" on all of the city’s residential routes, following a trial.
The council also plans to work with the police and West Midlands Combined Authority in lobbying the government for income from speeding fines to be handed back to local authorities and police forces instead of going into the Treasury as a way to increase speed cameras.
