Stoke-on-Trent Live

A few of the headlines on the Stoke-on-Trent Live website:

• Chains, axe and hammer thrown at police car as cops chase 'dangerous' gang on M6, external
• Angry bride banned from booking hen party at Stoke-on-Trent social club, external
• Friends of Stoke-on-Trent couple who drowned in Portugal hold fundraising festival, external

Tom Edwards
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

Animal rights activists are calling for more police action over wildlife crime after claiming they've found a badger shot dead.

Image source, PA Media

The Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs group came across the dead animal earlier this month in Himbleton, near Droitwich.

It says it's recorded almost 400 crimes against badgers alone since 2017.

West Mercia Police said officers recorded all reports from the public and any wilful killing of badgers was an offence.

The force is planning to increase the number of specially trained wildlife crime officers from 25 to 40 next year.

BBC Shropshire

More than one in five children in Shropshire are in food poverty, according to a report., external

Image source, Getty Images

The Shropshire Food Poverty Alliance says there are 27,000 families, both in and out of work in the county, that may have reduced food budgets.

They say it's down to a combination of factors including low wages, cooking skills and difficulty getting healthy, affordable food.

Shropshire Council's Communities Overview Committee will discuss the report this afternoon.

It hear potential solutions from the alliance include how some local food banks have turned into a "food bank plus" model, offering support to tackle underlying issues such as debt.

BBC Business News

TSB has revealed it is to close 82 more branches next year with about 300-400 staff expected to be affected.

We don't know yet where those closures will be, but the details could be released as soon Thursday.

The Spanish-owned bank operates dozens of branches in the West Midlands, among 540 across the UK.

Image source, Getty Ima

Since 2015, it has closed eight branches in the region, five of them in Birmingham, alongside branches in Coventry, Wolverhampton and Walsall.

Birmingham's Priory branch is set to close next Monday.

However, unlike Birmingham, some smaller towns in the West Midlands have only one bank of any kind and small businesses have previously said losing services would have a huge impact.

The BBC understands those TSB branches that will close next year will be smaller and quieter ones.

The latest news is expected to save £100m by 2022 and TSB said it followed a trend of fewer customers using high street branches, and more using online - it said 2.5 million customers now use online banking.

The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner has called Saturday's disturbance at Star City a "dreadful incident".

West Midlands Police officers drew Tasers and used a dispersal order to clear about 100 youths from the venue.

Footage from inside the multiplex appeared to show fights and people on the floor screaming.

Families queuing to see a Disney film were "terrorized by youngsters going around with machetes," said David Jamieson.

"Police officers have been injured, which is totally and absolutely unacceptable," he added.

"Some of these children were so young, I'm looking at a picture now of a boy probably 12 or 13 holding a large machete, now that really is very worrying and very disturbing."

Shropshire Star

The headlines on the Shropshire Star's website:

• Drink-driver reached speeds of 105mph in Ludlow police chase, external
• Fee-dodging Telford hospital visitors 'blocking driveways on nearby streets', external
• FC Oswestry Town set to face former Wales and Derby County midfielder Robbie Savage, external

Allen Cook
BBC News

People living in six parts of the West Midlands are being warned there could be more flooding in their areas as recent rain falls on already saturated ground.

Image source, Outwiththedogs

Three of the six Environment Agency flood alerts, external are in Warwickshire, around Stratford-upon-Avon, Rugby and Southam.

The county was one of the worst hit by flooding earlier this month as schools and roads had to close when the level of the River Avon rose.

The other alerts are in Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Film critic Amon Warmann, who reviewed Blue Story for Empire Magazine said he'd been left "disheartened" by the move to ban the film by two cinema chains.

Image source, PA Media

"This is a film by Rapman who has with a lot of graft bought this story to the big screen," he said.

"We really need to be supporting independent British film.

"He's had to overcome a lot of barriers to get this into the cinemas so to have this happen - to cut it off at its knees at its opening weekend - which is the most vital weekend - especially to a film like this, is a real shame."

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

Two people, cats and ferrets have been rescued from a house fire.

Image source, Google

The blaze was on West Street, Crewe, yesterday evening, the fire service said. , external

It added that police officers had already arrived by the time its crews got there and rescued the two people inside, although they haven't revealed their injuries.

Two firefighters then went in and rescued several cats and ferrets trapped inside.

BBC News

We've had most of the manifestos now - the full list of official pledges parties make to voters, explaining what they would do if elected.

We've been pulling together those promises into one place -our policy guide- to help you compare where the parties currently stand on the key issues.

Three men have been arrested after two men were stabbed in Birmingham in the early hours of Sunday.

Officers were called to Hamstead Road in the Lozells area just after 03:15.

One 23-year-old was taken to hospital suffering a serious injury to the hand and a second man suffered a serious back injury.

Vicky Breakwell
BBC Hereford and Worcester

A man's been badly hurt in an attack near the centre of Worcester.

Image source, Google

The 22-year-old suffered serious injuries in the assault on Wylds Lane on Saturday night, West Mercia Police said. , external

The man's still in hospital and more police patrols are being carried out in the area.

The University of Wolverhampton has signed a deal with Team Wales to allow their Walsall campus to be used as a base for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Under the agreement, coaches and support staff will be based on the campus during the games and for pre-games training camps.

Team Wales will occupy about 50 halls of residence rooms at the Walsall Campus for the duration of the Commonwealth Games.

Birmingham Live

These are some of today's Birmingham Live headlines:

• BBC defends Blue Story after massive Star City riot, external
• Cat shot in head by thug 'hanging out of the window', external
• Trees chopped down and houses bulldozed as work begins on Solihull centre gateway, external

BBC Films, which developed and co-financed Blue Story, said it was an "outstanding, critically acclaimed debut feature which powerfully depicts the futility of gang violence".

It added: "It's an important film from one of the UK's most exciting new filmmakers which we're proud to be part of."

Distributor Paramount Pictures said it was "saddened" by events at Star City but claimed the movie has had an "incredibly positive reaction and fantastic reviews".

Blue Story, which was developed from a YouTube mini-series by Mr Onwubolu, focuses on two friends from different south London postcodes, on rival sides of a street war.

Two cinema chains have now pulled the gang-themed film Blue Story after seven police officers were injured during a brawl at Star City.

Image source, Getty Images

It follows the life of Timmy who lives in Lewisham, but goes to school in Peckham - two areas that have a notorious rivalry.

Director Rapman - real name Andrew Onwubolu - has previously told Radio 1 Newsbeat: "That part of it was based on my life - it made my school experience very difficult."

Rapman says he wants the audience to see past crime statistics and headlines about knife crime, to understand how a "good kid" can lose their way.

Reacting to Saturday's violence he posted on Instagram it's "truly unfortunate that a small group of people can ruin things for everybody.

"Blue Story is a film about love not violence."

Six teenagers arrested in connection with violence that broke out at Star City in Birmingham on Saturday, have all been released on bail, police said.

Image source, Other

A girl aged 13, a girl and boy, both aged 14, and a 19-year-old man were all held on suspicion of assaulting police. In addition, a boy aged 14 was held on suspicion of obstructing police.

All five were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder and later released on bail with conditions which ban them leaving home at night and ban them from Star City and any cinema in the UK, police said.

A 14-year-old boy had also been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder after an image circulated on social media showing a number of youths, with one carrying a machete.

He has also been released, said West Midlands Police.

West Midlands Police said it did not ask for or recommend the film Blue Story be pulled following Saturday's violence.

Image source, Rachael Allison

Ch Supt Steve Graham said: "I understand there is a lot of speculation on social media and people are citing that film.

"At this stage we are not jumping to any conclusions. That will form part of our investigations as it carries on."

He was speaking as two cinema chains said they would not be showing the film in the wake of Saturday's violence.

Police were called to the complex, in Nechells, at about 17:30.

"This was a major outbreak of trouble which left families who were just trying to enjoy a night out at the cinema understandably frightened.

"We worked quickly to move the crowds on, but were met with a very hostile response and officers had to draw Tasers to restore order."

The director of a film pulled from cinemas following a brawl at Star City in Birmingham described the disturbance as "truly unfortunate" and hoped it was not an "indictment" of the film.

Image source, Getty Images

Rapper-turned-filmmaker Andrew Onwubolu, posted on Instagram on Sunday: "Sending love to all those involved in yesterday's violence at Star City in Birmingham.

"It's truly unfortunate that a small group of people can ruin things for everybody. Blue Story is a film about love not violence.

"I hope that the blame is placed with the individuals and not an indictment of the film itself.

"I pray that we can all learn to live with love and treat each other with tolerance and respect."

Newcastle manager Steve Bruce has described the end of his reign at Aston Villa as "one of the most unsavoury times" of his career.