Worcester Cricket Ground is prepared to deal with flooding for the fifth time this year, the Environment Agency's Dave Throup has said.

There are no planned fixtures at the ground, however three games had to be moved due to flooding earlier this year.

The city saw widespread flooding in October when the River Severn reached record levels.

Danny Antonio Brazier also abused a second victim, 15, while on bail, prosecutors said.

Police are appealing for information after jewellery and cash were taken by masked men in a raid at a home in Galley Common, Nuneaton.

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A man in his 40s was struck to the back of his head with an unknown object and a woman and teenager were threatened in the attack, which happened at about 23:15 on Friday, Warwickshire Police said.

The force is appealing for witnesses and said it believed there were four men who entered the property on School Lane before fleeing in an unknown direction.

BBC Weather Watchers

Our Weather Watchers have been out and about on this mild day in the West Midlands.

You can find more pictures, and send in your own, here.

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Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl Jackson

Books that promoted extremist views and support for an Islamic State have been removed from a school in Birmingham following an Ofsted inspection.

Jamia Islamia Birmingham in Sparkbrook was rated inadequate when the education watchdog inspected in June and found books that were "actively undermining fundamental British values" in the library.

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“A series of aims set out in one book includes ‘To help the Taliban government in the accomplishment of enforcement of Shari’ah in Afghanistan’ and ‘To struggle for the creation of Islamic states in which the Islamic canons will enforced practically [sic]’," the report following the summer inspection read.

“On the front page of this book are the words ‘Don’t make the Jews and the Christians your friends’."

After a follow up inspection in November Ofsted found the books had been removed.

It said a number of improvements other had been made, external, including providing careers advice and provision for pupils’ personal, health, social and economic (PHSE) education.

However inspectors said the school was still failing to meet necessary standards.

The prime minister is expected to confirm a minor cabinet reshuffle this afternoon.

A new culture secretary and Welsh Secretary are expected to be appointed, but there may be further additions, promotions and demotions among Boris Johnson's top team.

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With a majority of 80 he has more MPs to choose from, particularly from West Midlands and northern constituencies.

Sajid Javid said on the campaign trail that he hoped to keep his job as chancellor and the Bromsgrove MP was spotted in Downing Street this morning.

Hereford Times

Some of the top stories in the Hereford Times today include:

• A man was left with potentially serious injuries after he was hit by a car in Hereford, external

• Parents told to give children flu vaccine amid 'super spreaders' warning, external

• Herefordshire farming duo win trophy, external

Road closures in Birmingham city centre have been lifted after a pedestrian was killed in a crash earlier.

The man was struck by a vehicle at the junction of Park Street and Bordesley Street, near Moor Street Station, at about 11:00.

He died at the scene and police said his next of kin was being identified.

Nuneaton Town Hall will remain closed for the rest of the day after a fire broke out in its roof this morning.

Image source, Nuneaton & Bedworth Neighbourhood Watch

The council said it hoped to be able to reopen to the public tomorrow.

It said that all staff were safely evacuated after the alarms went off at about 09:40 and nobody was injured.

Hundreds of sub-postmasters and postmistresses have won a key judgment against the Post Office and its Horizon IT system in the High Court.

The judge Mr Justice Fraser said Horizon was not remotely robust and even in an improved form it had a significant number of bugs.

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The sub-postmasters blamed the system for creating big shortfalls in their accounts, discrepancies which led to some being made bankrupt and others prosecuted and sent to prison.

The Post Office admitted defeat in the case last week and agreed to pay £58m to settle claims.

Rubbina Shaheen and her husband Mohamed Hami (pictured) ran the post office in Greenfields, Shrewsbury. They are not among the 550 taking court action today, but Ms Shaheen told the BBC she hoped the decision would help overturn her conviction in 2010 for falsifying accounts.

And it's not just a fresh take of Conservatives.

New MP for Coventry South Zarah Sultana tweeted earlier on her first day in Parliament.

BBC WM

The new Conservative MP for Birmingham Northfield, Gary Sambrook, has said his first trip to Parliament has been "incredible".

"When you walk in and think, 'this is my new office'... it was just absolutely incredible," he said.

"On Saturday I went shopping to get some new shirts and some new clothing because I'm going to have to smarten up a bit," he said.

Another of the new MPs for the West Midlands is Shaun Bailey - the first ever Conservative MP to represent West Bromwich West.

He said when he stood in the chamber on Sunday it was "so surreal".

"The history that's been in that building, it's just phenomenal," he said, "so it's a bit weird at the moment".

"I think I'm conscious there's a lot to do and I really want to get stuck in."

A man and boy have been arrested and a woman taken to hospital after they were found in the back of a lorry in Stoke-on-Trent, police say.

Officers were called to Davenport Street in Longport on Thursday morning, and detained a 16-year-old and a 27-year-old on suspicion of illegal entry to the UK.

Staffordshire Police said the case is now with the Home Office.

A man hit by a car in Birmingham city centre died at the scene, paramedics have confirmed.

He was found by the junction of Moor Street and Park Street after emergency crews were called at about 10:50.

“Crews arrived to discover the pedestrian, a man, in a critical condition," West Midlands Ambulance Service said.

“Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent nothing could be done to save him and he was confirmed dead at the scene.

“The driver of the vehicle, a man, was assessed at the scene and taken to City Hospital.”

The roads are cordoned off and drivers are advised to avoid the area.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

Some of the top stories on Stoke-on-Trent Live today include:

• Grieving mum pays tribute to son who died after suffering a seizure, external
• Huge haul of 148 hippy crack canisters found by worried mum, external
• Bare foot dog owner chased escaped pet to find it attacking people outside police station, external

Shropshire Council's cabinet meets later after it was revealed the authority will need to find an extra £14m in savings next year.

Without extra government money and a rise in council tax, there are likely to be cuts across the board, officials say.

Following the announcement of a spending freeze, the council's finance director James Walton has said that funding for adult social care and children's services had become "unaffordable and unsustainable".

Unless cuts were made, the local authority would need more government money and higher council tax, he said.

Birmingham City Council has seized seven properties across the city that have have stood empty and abandoned for 10 years, the local authority said.

Image source, Birmingham City Council

The council said it planned to bring one empty home back into use every day.

The properties, in Handsworth, Selly Oak, Acocks Green, Kings Heath, Kitts Green, Bromford and Sutton Coldfield, were sold at auction and will need to be made habitable within 12 months.

"These are much-needed homes that have been left abandoned and neglected by the owners, which is completely unacceptable," Julie Griffin, the council's housing director, said.

"In the middle of a national housing crisis and with families falling into homelessness, there shouldn’t be any empty properties in the city."

There are two flood warnings in force in Herefordshire and Worcestershire after more heavy rain over the weekend.

The River Teme at Stanford Bridge is expected to remain high until this evening, while the Severn could peak at 6.4m (20ft) at Kempsey Yacht Club tomorrow with a warning that flooding is likely to affect Court Meadow Caravan Park.

Image source, Getty Images

Worcestershire County Council says the recycling centre in Upton upon Severn is closed because of flooding.

In Herefordshire there are flood alerts on the Arrow, the Lugg and the Wye, which burst its banks at Ross-on-Wye on Saturday.

A worker asleep and an allegation of "rough" handling were among complaints about Shropshire, Crewe.

Two people were injured in a fire in a retirement bungalow complex in Telford last night.

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze at Morton Court in Dawley at about 18:00 involved two properties and two vehicles.

Wrekin Housing Trust, which runs the complex, said the pair were now out of hospital.

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