Allen Cook
BBC News

Tributes are continuing to pour in for former England and Warwickshire captain Bob Willis who has died aged 70.

The fast bowler took 325 wickets in 90 Tests, played 12 years for the Bears and is most famous for his career-best 8-43 in England's famous Ashes win in 1981.

His former club called him a "legend", adding he played a key role in their County Championship team when it won the title in 1972. , external

Warwickshire chairman Norman Gascoigne tweeted, external he would "forever be a cricketing legend" and hailed his abilities as a raconteur.

While on the BBC Midlands Facebook page, Steve Walder called , externalhim "one hell of a good bowler" and Dom Kavanagh said, external he was "a big part of my childhood watching Test cricket".

Shropshire Star

The Shropshire Star's headlines today include:

• Get set to say farewell to beloved Ironbridge towers, external
• Couple abandon plans for another child after 'traumatic' birth of son at Telford hospital, external
• Broken leg pensioner waited an hour in the rain after Telford fall, external

BBC Weather Watchers

Did you see it? There was a spectacular sunrise across the West Midlands today and our BBC Weather Watchers didn't disappoint with their photos.

Of the dozens, here are three of the best - from Videoman in Leek, Staffordshire, Monomark in Edgmond, Shropshire and Ella Mentry in Eaton Bishop, Herefordshire:

Image source, Videoman

Image source, Monomark

Image source, Ella Mentry

BBC News Travel

Trains are once again stopping at Worcester Foregate Street after it was earlier closed by police following reports of a suspicious item being found.

British Transport Police said , externalofficers were called after 07:00 and declared it safe by 10:36, after examining the item.

Detectives investigating the stabbing of a 21-year-old man while on a night out have charged two more men with murder.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Jack Donoghue died in hospital after being attacked near Popworld, Solihull, in the early hours of Saturday.

Tyrall Blake, 21, of no fixed address and Nile Bennett, 22, of Court Lane Erdington are set to appear before Birmingham Magistrates Court today.

Two other men, aged 20 and 21, were charged with murder earlier this week.

Another man, 23, was arrested on suspicion of murder and released on bail, while a 39-year-old man was detained on suspicion of assisting an offender and released pending further investigation, said West Midlands Police.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

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

• Thousands back campaign to stop closure of jacket potato stand, external
• Inquest yet to be opened for baby at centre of murder investigation, external
• Owner hits back after immigration raid on this Stoke-on-Trent restaurant, external

A student has been charged after shots were fired from a flat window in Coventry city centre.

It's alleged Warwick University undergraduate Xinge Zhang fired the imitation weapon numerous times from a student accommodation block in Broadgate on Tuesday evening.

The 22-year-old from Jiangxi in China has been charged with possessing an imitation firearm with the intent to cause fear of unlawful violence, said West Midlands Police.

He remains in police custody this morning and is set to appear at Coventry Magistrates' Court later today.

Kit Graham's second-half equaliser earns Tottenham Hotspur a draw against Birmingham City at Damson Park.

BBC News Travel

A crash is blocking Gibbet Hill in both directions in Coventry.

The road is closed between the A429 Kenilworth Road and Leighfield Road.

There's congestion to Stonelight Road back down to Stoneleigh village as well as along the A429 back into Kenilworth.

An ice-cream loving dog has lost nearly a quarter of her body weight to be crowned one of the best pet slimmers in the country.

Image source, PDSA

Eight-year-old American Bulldog Missi, from Walsall, once tipped the scales at a whopping 43.8kg (6 stone 13lb) before losing 24% of her weight.

Before the weight loss, owner Gemma Pittaway said: "She gets very excited when she hears the ice cream van coming – it’s her favourite.

"She always gets given a free Mr Whippy when we get there!"

She's come runner up to beefy beagle Luigi, who's been named the PDSA's Pet Fit Club champion.

Two rescued Alaskan sea otters are to become residents at a Birmingham marine rescue facility.

The animals will be found homes at the new rescue facility at the National Sea Life Centre in a scheme to protect the species.

Once on the verge of extinction, sea otters remain seriously endangered.

The pair will arrive into Birmingham airport from the US next year before making their way to their new home under police escort.

David Gregory-Kumar
Science correspondent, BBC Midlands Today

Scientists at the University of Warwick are hoping to learn something about the future of our solar system, by examining the fate of a planet in another part of the galaxy.

This planet, which is similar to Neptune, is orbiting a burnt out white dwarf star.

It appears the intense radiation from the star is gradually evaporating it.

Image source, European Space Agency

Researchers from the university have been examining it after securing a two-hour slot on the Very Large Telescope in Chile and now hope to get data from the Hubble space telescope.

They say it will give us an idea what might happen to Earth when our sun starts the process that will turn it into a white dwarf too.

Express and Star

Some of the early headlines from the Express and Star today include:

• Fraudster's lie to secure right-to-buy deal on council house exposed, external
• Teenage tearaway in five-mile police chase spared jail, external
• Home-lift company gains national award, external

BBC News Travel

Part of the one-way system in Lye, in the Black Country, is closed to traffic for emergency work to fix a collapsed sewer.

The A458 High Street is closed westbound after the Talbot Street junction.

Buses are being diverted away from the area.

BBC News Travel

There's some thick fog around this morning, with motorists being advised to take care.

BBC News Travel

A crash involving four cars is causing congestion on the M6 northbound near Birmingham.

A broken down tanker is also blocking one lane in the area from J6 to J7.

BBC News

We no longer need them to tell us the time - so why should we care about clock towers?

BBC News has been taking a look at some iconic towers, including the one affectionately known as Old Joe, in Birmingham., external

Image source, Getty Images

The Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower, at the University of Birmingham, still serves its original purpose more than a century after it was built.

Constructed at the university's Edgbaston campus between 1900 and 1908 and named after its first chancellor, the British statesman Joseph Chamberlain, the 328ft (100m) structure is the tallest freestanding clock tower in the UK.

"It continues to fulfil the exact aim for which it was put there by him," says Dr Matt Cole, a teaching fellow in history at the university.

BBC News Travel

Trains are unable to call at Worcester Foregate Street due to in incident in the area, said West Midlands Railway.

A fire has broken out at a derelict pottery factory in Stoke-on-Trent.

Image source, Staffordshire Fire Service

Crews were initially sent to the site in Commerce Street, Longton, shortly after 16:00 GMT on Wednesday.

The fire was coming from a chimney at the Ashdale Pottery site, said the fire service.

Firefighters left the scene just after midnight, it added.

Lucy Edwards is one of 35 new guest presenters on Radio 1 and 1Xtra over the Christmas period.