BBC News England

Campaigners say men are increasingly using the "rough sex" defence to try to get away with murdering women.

Image source, Getty Images

They want the law changed to prevent such a defence and have the support of two MPs.

Among the cases highlighted are the jailing of Richard Bailey for strangling Charlotte Teeling at his flat in Birmingham and Natalie Connolly, who was left to die in Kinver, Staffordshire by her boyfriend John Broadhurst.

Campaigners want to amend the Domestic Abuse Bill currently going through Parliament, to make it the expectation that murder charges are brought against those suspected of killing a person during sex.

But barristers who spoke to the BBC have concerns about this, saying "kneejerk" legislation risks "creating bad, unworkable" laws that fail to protect the public.

BBC Sport

Birmingham's Dan Evans is out of the Australian Open having lost in straight sets in the second round.

Image source, EPA

The British number one, seeded 30th, was beaten 6-4 6-3 6-4 by Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka.

The 29-year-old was the third and final Briton to fall in the men's singles after Kyle Edmund and Cameron Norrie lost their opening matches on Tuesday.

BBC News England

Social services are caring for three immigrant children who were found in a horsebox belonging to a couple from Staffordshire.

Sue and Jeremy Riches (pictured), from Pattingham, Staffordshire, had stopped at their son's house in Marlborough, Wiltshire, when they made the discovery.

The four Sudanese men, three of whom are minors, have been arrested on suspicion of immigration offences, the Home Office said.

Mr and Mrs Riches were bringing back furniture to the UK, having recently sold a house in France.

Express and Star

From the Express and Star today:

• Unemployment and employment rise in the West Midlands, external
• Man handed community order after killing motorcyclist in crash, external
• Mother backs blood donor campaign after baby daughter's life saved, external

BBC Sport

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith said his players would have "a lot of belief" after they scored an injury-time winner to beat Watford and move out of the Premier League relegation zone.

Image source, Getty Images

Ezri Konsa's shot deflected in off team-mate Tyrone Mings in the 95th minute after Pepe Reina had launched a free-kick into the penalty area in a thrilling finish at Villa Park.

Elsewhere last night, Birmingham City felt they were controversially denied a late winning goal in their draw at Middlesbrough in the Championship.

Lukas Jutkiewicz poked in from close range with three minutes to go but referee Andy Woolmer had already stopped play seconds earlier after two players collided on the pitch.

While in League Two, Callum Ainley's stoppage-time goal rescued a 1-1 draw for Crewe at struggling Macclesfield.

BBC News UK

The Duchess of Cambridge has visited Birmingham to launch a UK-wide survey to help improve early childhood.

Image source, Reuters/Eddie Keogh

The five-question online survey aims to "spark a national conversation" to help create "lasting change for generations to come", Kensington Palace said.

The NSPCC said the project would be a "vital source of information".

On Tuesday, the duchess visited Thinktank, a science museum in Birmingham.

She was shown around an interactive mini city inside the museum and spoke to parents and carers about her survey.

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

Cloudy and misty to start today with fog patches around. It'll then become a cloudy day with the odd bright spell and there could be drizzle this afternoon. High: 10C/50F.

Then some clearer spells this evening but it'll be mainly cloudy tonight with the chance of drizzle and mist spreading across most areas. Low: 6C/43F.

Get a latest forecast for your area at any time from the BBC Weather website.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Wednesday.

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

You can get in touch via email,Twitter, external and Facebook., external

Campaigners say men are increasingly using the defence to try to get away with murdering women.

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith says his players will have "a lot of belief" after they score a late winner to beat Watford and move out of the bottom three.

Callum Ainley's stoppage-time goal rescues a 1-1 draw for Crewe at struggling Macclesfield.

Middlesbrough and Birmingham's Championship draw ends in frenetic fashion as the Blues feel they are controversially denied a late winning goal.

England prepare to host the inaugural Netball Nations Cup - their first matches on home soil since the 2019 Netball World Cup in Liverpool.

Warrington Wolves sign Tonga international Leilani Latu from Gold Coast Titans on a two-year contract.

Chief Constable Dave Thompson said West Midlands Police "failed to protect" Lisa Skidmore's family.

The Birmingham Yardley MP bows out of the contest as Lisa Nandy gets the backing of the GMB union.

The officer would have been dismissed for gross conduct had he not already resigned, the force said.

Andy Giddings
BBC News

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

A boy at a young offenders institution was left to lie on a mattress on the floor of a "filthy" cell for more than 22 hours a day, a report has revealed.

Image source, Google

The chief inspector of prisons in England and Wales, Peter Clarke, said a practice of separating children from their peers at YOIs amounted to "harmful solitary confinement".

He said the policy had "fundamental flaws" and was a risk to mental health.

Inspectors looked at five YOIs, holding about 600 men and boys aged 15 to 18, including Werrington, near Stoke-on-Trent.

The government said it would be making "immediate changes".

Read the full story here.

Plans for more car parks in Stoke-on-Trent could be announced soon, the city council has said.

Leader of the authority Abi Brown said she hoped work would start on the Broad Street car park in the next 12 months and it should be ready within two years.

Image source, Google

Ms Brown also said the council wanted more car parks to attract more people to the city.