Aston Villa are through to the quarter-finals of the Carabou Cup after a 2-1 victory over Wolves last night.

Image source, Getty Images

Five-time winners Villa last reached this stage of the competition in 2012.

Just under 35,000 fans saw goals from Anwar El Ghazi and Ahmed Elmohamady win the first meeting between the two sides in this competition for 24 years.

The quarter-final draw will be live at 08:45 on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio Two.

A fire involving 24 tonnes of lead batteries was fought in Worcester last night.

Crews were called to a lorry on fire on Wainwright Road shortly after 22:00.

Drivers were told to avoid the area due to the amount of smoke coming from the scene.

Firefighters were in attendance overnight and left the scene at 06:20 on Thursday.

A man is due in court charged with murdering a woman whose body was found at her flat six months ago.

Image source, Family handout

The body of 21-year-old Lauren Griffiths from Oswestry, Shropshire, was discovered at the property on Glynrhondda Street in Cathays, Cardiff, on 30 April.

Madog Llewellyn Rowlands, 22, from Wrexham, has been charged with her murder and is set to appear at Cardiff Magistrates' Court later.

Ms Griffiths was described as a "ray of sunshine" by her family

A boy has died after being found unconscious at a house in Shrewsbury.

The 16-year-old was discovered at a property on Rondel Street on Wednesday afternoon.

He was taken to hospital where he died, said West Mercia Police.

It added an investigation was ongoing, and officers were not looking for anyone else at this stage.

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

After a cold start it will be a cloudy day with highs of 11C (52F).

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Thursday.

We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather for the West Midlands.

We love to hear from you so share your news, thoughts and photos of the area with us via email, Twitter, external and Facebook., external

Goals from Anwar El Ghazi and Ahmed Elmohamady see Aston Villa edge past a youthful Wolves side to reach the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

The University of Birmingham says it is planning to run an additional payroll in the next few days.

Andy Giddings
BBC News

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

Following today's release of the first phase of the report into the Grenfell tower tragedy, West Midlands Fire Service has explained the steps it's taken to protect people in the region's tower blocks.

In June 2017, 72 people died in the Grenfell Tower fire and London Fire Brigade has faced criticism for its decisions on the night.

West Midlands Fire Service said it would be considering the recommendations of today's report, but that it had been taking action over the last two years, including identifying tower blocks with flammable cladding.

It said it staged more than 100 large-scale exercises a year, including using empty high-rise buildings to test firefighting, fire survival and evacuation procedures.

It said its own tower-block training centre, which opened in 2014 in Oldbury, had helped with training.

West Midlands Fire Service said there were nearly 1,000 buildings with four storeys or more in its area and it regularly spoke to owners and landlords about safety.

It also praised Birmingham City Council for pledging to spending £31m to fit sprinklers it its 213 tower blocks.

BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

The four people bidding to stand for the Labour party in the forthcoming general election in Coventry will know whether they've been successful by the end of the week.

Tomorrow, Labour members in Coventry South will choose between Neeraj Patil, a GP and former mayor of Lambeth, and Zarah Sultana, a West Midlands Labour party organiser.

On Saturday, Coventry North West members will get to choose between Des Arthur, a trade unionist and former Coventry postman and Taiwo Owatemi, a pharmacist from London.

They'll be standing in constituencies held by Labour MPs Jim Cunningham and Geoffrey Robinson, who have both decided not to stand again.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

There are fears a hole in the road near the entrance to a Newcastle-under-Lyme school could get worse, after going unrepaired for nearly three months.

Borough councillor Ruth Wright and a number of local residents said they first reported it when there was just a dip in the road and she said it was "really frustrating" that it was still there.

The residents have complained the hole on Mount Pleasant is in a busy area and should be treated as a priority.

But Staffordshire County Council said the hole had been inspected and fenced off to keep it safe.

It said further investigations to identify the cause would now be carried out.

Shropshire Star

Here are three of the stories featured in the Shropshire Star today:

• Police chase man 'died trying to cross Severn', external
• World judo champion 'killed himself after sending email to partner', external
• Hundreds of new homes and new school proposed, external

A swimming pool in Worcester is seeking a £100,000 loan from the city council to carry out refurbishments.

The Worcester Citizens Swimming Bath Association, which runs Lower Wick Swimming Pool, wants to replace the pool's lining and filters and renovate the changing rooms and reception area.

Image source, Getty Images

The total cost of the work would be nearly £200,000.

Councillors are due to meet next Tuesday to make a decision on the loan.

Antoinette Sandbach, the MP for Eddisbury in Cheshire, is hoping her record on local issues will be important to voters at this next election.

She was one of 21 Conservative MPs suspended from the parliamentary Conservative Party and now intends to stand as an independent candidate.

Unlike 10 of her colleagues, including Stourbridge MP Margot James, the whip wasn't restored today.

She told BBC Breakfast this morning: "I think what we're going to see is really local factors, people looking at their MP and looking at their values and seeing how they've represented them, how they've spoken up on their behalf."

"I think my constituents will see that I've always stood up and spoken up for what I believe to be in their best interests."

She has consistently sought to stop a no-deal Brexit, but has also voted three times for Theresa May's deal, which would have seen the UK leave the EU in March, and also for Boris Johnson's own deal.

The MP, who received a death threat earlier this month, is worried about the response from the public to politicians and said female MPs particularly may have to avoid canvassing on their own.

"You never know what's been on the other side of the door," she said.

BBC Weather Watchers

Here are some views around the West Midlands, sent in by our local BBC Weather Watchers.

These three are from users DentalBex in Stone, Staffordshire, SteveC in Rugby, Warwickshire and Step Counter in Ludlow, Shropshire:

Image source, DentalBex

Image source, SteveC

Image source, Step Counter

BBC WM Sport

Aston Villa host Wolves in the EFL Cup's fourth round tonight in front of a 42,000 sell-out crowd at Villa Park.

However, fans are likely to see two much-changed line-ups for the tie with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.

Villa will definitely be without Jack Grealish after he was substituted against Manchester City at the weekend.

While Wolves are likely to give starts to a number of fringe players while resting several regulars in what will be their 21st competitive game of the season so far.

You can follow the action on the BBC Sport website or via BBC WM's commentary.

Police in the West Midlands are taking part in a crackdown on dangerous tyres.

Officers said these were just two of the vehicles stopped and reported on the region's roads in the last 12 hours alone, external.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Image source, West Midlands Police

The classicist and broadcaster Professor Mary Beard has had an apology from Heathrow Airport after she was asked to strip down to "my scrappy undies" while going through security.

Professor Beard who was born and brought up in Much Wenlock said she was seen by fellow passengers in "my little black vest (and) no bra" after being asked to remove clothing.

Heathrow Airport apologised to Beard in its response on Twitter, external: "We are very sorry to hear this and apologise for the experience you have had."

Prof Beard responded that she did not want staff to get into trouble but some "general consciousness-raising" would be worthwhile.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl Jackson

Repairs to kitchens, bathrooms and rooftops are going to be delayed for council tenants due to a £93m fire safety bill Birmingham is facing after the Grenfell Tower fire.

Image source, PA Media

Last year, the city council committed to a £31m scheme to fit all of its 213 tower blocks with sprinklers, despite failing to get funding from the government.

Now, the local authority's cabinet's heard , externalmore national safety guidance could lead to costs of about £34m to replace fire doors and frames and more than £28m to make changes to window panels.

Tenants are being warned the potential costs mean the usual maintenance programme has been badly affected for the time being.

On 14 June 2017, 72 people died in the Grenfell Tower fire and this afternoon MPs are debating today's report into the tragedy.