Drug-driver Adrian Paskin smashed into a car in Birmingham and left Sarah Handley to die.

BBC Midlands Today

Ten former Thomas Cook stores have now reopened around the West Midlands, under the ownership of Hays Travel.

Thousands of people across the country lost their jobs when the travel giant collapsed last month, ending 178 years of business.

In the aftermath, Hays Travel bought all 555 Thomas Cook high street stores and pledged to reopen many of them.

The Worcester store is one of the latest to reopen, employing all but one of the original staff.

"People have been coming in with biscuits and chocolates and cakes and just really pleased that we're back," manager Julie Kyriacou said.

Another member of staff Debbie Moore said: "I've worked for Thomas Cook for 32 years, I was very faithful to them. I just feel now that that's in the past."

Among 204 stores that have so far reopened nationwide are 10 in the West Midlands:

• Bromsgrove
• Coventry Cannon Park
• Harborne
• Kidderminster
• Shrewsbury
• Solihull High Street
• Stoke Longton
• Stourbridge
• Tamworth
• Worcester High Street.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Coventry could get three more train stations, under plans outlined by the city council.

It is proposing reopening two former train stations at Coundon and Foleshill, and building a brand new one at Binley and Willenhall, in the east of the city.

The idea was backed by full council yesterday and the first step will be a feasibility study with the West Midlands Combined Authority.

The Conservative group on the council launched a campaign to reopen Coundon station, plus a new site in July and got the backing of the West Midlands mayor Andy Street.

Councillors also agreed to write to the Department of Transport to ask for a direct link between Coventry and the East Midlands, to double track the line from Coventry to Leamington, to electrify the line from Coventry to Nuneaton, and for reassurances that three express trains an hour between Coventry and London will continue.

Coventry Live

Here are three of the stories on the Coventry Live website:

• Three new train stations on the cards, external
• Pedestrian seriously injured in road smash, external
• Police hunt gang behind spate of van thefts, external

BBC WM

Opponents of plans to tear down the Perry Barr fly-over are pledging to fight on, despite approval being given to demolish the structure.

Image source, Google

The £27.1m scheme was agreed yesterday by the city council and will see the A34 fly-over knocked down and replaced by a new dual carriageway on ground level.

But it's been controversial with the authority receiving more than 15,000 objections, claiming the move will lead to increased traffic in the area and an increase in carbon emissions.

Council leader Ian Ward blamed the level of opposition on a failure to communicate the benefits of the plan, according to Local Democracy Service reporter Tom Dare.

Following the decision, Jon Hunt, councillor for Perry Barr and leader of the council's Liberal Democrats, promised to lodge papers by the end of the week to have it called in by a scrutiny committee.

The "imam from Batley" took part in a Birmingham protest despite not being invited, a court is told.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Here are three of the stories covered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service in Coventry today:

• Free Wi-Fi and outdoor gyms will be installed in Coventry’s parks, as part of the city council's new Green Space Strategy. The authority will also consider planting a tree for every citizen.

• Coventry City Council has agreed a deal to buy the site on Ansty Road occupied by a B&M store, which will bring in an annual rent. It hasn't said how much it paid, but called it "market value".

• Coventry is getting another £18m for a centre to research, test and manufacture electric car batteries. The money from the West Midlands Combined Authority is added to £108m from the government.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is bringing to a close his three-day visit to the Herefordshire Diocese.

He's been to Hereford Sixth Form College, visited a messy play session at All Saints Church in Hereford, held a question and answer session and chatted with farmers over a bacon sarnie at a farm near Much Wenlock.

Image source, Diocese of Hereford

Image source, Diocese of Hereford

The Most Reverend Justin Welby also went on a prayer walk up the Clee Hill, shared a drink at Ludlow Brewery, went to morning prayers at Hereford Cathedral and paid a visit to Hereford livestock market.

The itinerary was designed to enable the Archbishop to see some of the the work led by the Rt Revd Richard Frith, the Bishop of Hereford, who retires later this year.

Image source, Diocese of Hereford

Image source, Diocese of Hereford

Image source, Diocese of Hereford

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

Staying mainly dry tonight, although there's the chance of the odd shower around in the West Midlands:

Keep up-to-date with the latest forecast for your area by heading to the BBC Weather website at any other time.

BBC Hereford and Worcester

The Conservative MP for Redditch, Rachel Maclean, has said she's been told the additional funding is now in place for improvement works at the Alexandra Hospital.

In 2017, the government promised £29.6m to upgrade the hospital's elective care centre, endoscopy, children’s outpatients and operating theatres, but that's no longer enough, because of inflation.

Mrs Maclean said she has now been promised £31.9m after lobbying the Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

She said it meant the final business case could now be submitted and contractors put in place to begin the work.

A homeless woman has been attacked by a group of teenagers who threw bottles at her, police have said., external

Image source, Google

Officers in Lichfield, Staffordshire, said it happened last night outside the Garrick Theatre.

They added the rough sleeper wasn't seriously injured, but was upset.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Gurdip Thandi

People are vowing to continue fighting plans to build a cemetery on a beauty spot despite councillors approving the move.

Image source, Google

Some residents left a full Sandwell Council meeting in tears after a slim majority voted the proposal through for Powke Lane, Rowley Regis.

More than 1,200 people have so far signed a petition against the plans.

The local authority said the area was running out of burial plots at current sites and, if the plans were rejected, it would have to stop accepting new burials within four years.

But campaigners claim the scheme will harm wildlife and be a bad move for traffic and road safety and say they have already ask the secretary of state to call the plans in.

Shrewsbury Town's on-loan Wigan Athetic striker Callum Lang is sidelined for three months after a foot operation.

About £10,000 has been raised for the family of Rob Spray, who died ahead of the Bulgaria match.

Ben Perrin
BBC Online

The bodies of a couple who died while swimming on holiday in Portugal have been returned to the UK.

Image source, Kim Fletcher

Kim Fletcher and Danny Johnson, both 33, from Stoke-on-Trent, are believed to have been swimming in Zambujeira do Mar when they got into difficulties.

A family friend said Mr Johnson tried to save his partner, but they were caught by a strong undercurrent.

Today, North Staffordshire Coroners confirmed they had been notified of the deaths as they were now on British soil.

The hard shoulder was being used as a running lane when Dev Naran was killed in a crash in Birmingham.

Steven Carless is also charged with kidnap, stalking and affray after an incident on Monday.

A man's been jailed for more than nine years after admitting causing the death of a woman in a car crash following a police pursuit.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Sarah Handley (pictured), 28, was a passenger in a Ford Fiesta which was in a crash with another car in Birmingham in August shortly after being pursued by police.

Last month, Adrian Paskin, 35, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court to dangerous driving and causing death by dangerous.

Today he was sentenced to nine years and four months in prison and banned from driving for nearly 13 years.

Joanne Writtle
BBC Midlands Today

A man who's led protests against the teaching of LGBT relationships at a school in Birmingham, has said it could be appropriate to teach older primary school pupils about same-sex relationships.

Image source, PA Media

Shakeel Afsar has been on the stand at Birmingham High Court, where the city council is seeking to make an interim injunction banning protests immediately outside Anderton Park School permanent.

Some parents and activists have been leading protests at the Balsall Heath school as they say the teachings clash with their "religious beliefs and family values".

Mr Afsar, who does not have a child at the school, was asked how he felt about children being told some youngsters have two mums or two dads.

He said: "If it was my child I would say that in the final years of primary school it could possibly be taught to children, but not infringe on their morals, but give them an insight into the society that exists.”

However, he described picture book Princess Boy, about a boy who dressed up as a princess, as "not morally acceptable" to many of the Muslim parents at the school.

The hearing continues.

Cheshire Live - Crewe

A few of the stories headlining the Cheshire Live website today:

• Crewe traders frustration at long delays to town centre regeneration, external
• Council announce two months of overnight closures of A500 near M6 Junction 16 for dualling work, external
• Food waste recycling to begin in Cheshire East in January, external