Updates from Monday 20 January to Sunday 26 January
A 15-year-old boy had his bike stolen by a group of men, one of whom appeared to be carrying a handgun, police said.
Image source, Staffordshire PoliceStaffordshire Police said he was robbed in Codsall at 18:15 on Sunday as he was walking with his bike on Wolverhampton Road.
The victim was pulled into an alleyway and kicked and punched by the gang. He was taken to New Cross Hospital for treatment.
Attempts are being made to find the owner of a sick dog found by the road near Albrighton, Shropshire, yesterday.
West Mercia Police said it was "in a very poorly condition and incredibly emaciated" and was now in the care of the RSPCA.
Image source, West Mercia PoliceRSPCA inspector Jackie Hickman, said: “I was utterly shocked by her condition. She must have been terrified as she was left to suffer all alone at the side of a road in a rural area on a really cold morning."
The charity said she could have been hours away from death when she was discovered by a passer-by on Cordy Lane.
BBC News
Terror offenders will face more time in jail and be monitored more closely as part of new laws being introduced within weeks, the government has said.
Image source, Met PoliceAutomatic early release from prison will be scrapped for terror offenders while a minimum jail term of 14 years for serious crimes will be introduced.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said the government had faced "hard truths" since an attack in London in November.
Convicted terror offender Usman Khan had been on licence from prison when he fatally stabbed Saskia Jones, from Stratford-upon-Avon, and Jack Merritt at Fishmongers' Hall near London Bridge on 29 November last year.
A man has died after being hit by a car at Newport in Shropshire yesterday evening.
West Midlands Ambulance Service said he was hit on Salters Lane at around 17:30 and died at the scene, despite the efforts of a passing off-duty paramedic and ambulance colleagues, who arrived shortly afterwards.
Four Labour leadership candidates will face each other at a hustings later in a bid to gain support from one of the UK's biggest trade unions.
GMB, which represents workers and has 620,000 members, is due to announce who it is backing after the event.
Birmingham Yardley MP Jess Phillips is the only candidate not attending the hustings because of a prior engagement.
Her spokesperson said she has submitted a written statement and sent apologies.
Image source, PA MediaA man has been seriously injured after being hit by a lorry in Stoke-on-Trent this morning.
The pedestrian was struck just after 09:00 on the A34, near the Orange Tree pub and the road was closed for several hours while emergency services dealt with the incident.
Image source, Google
Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC WM
Plans to ban cars from driving through Birmingham City centre will be put out to public consultation after being backed by councillors today.
Under proposals, vehicles will be able to drive into the city, but would have to go back out to the ring road to access other areas.
In a newly published transport plan, external, the city council is also looking at rerouting the A38 and bringing in a 20mph limit on more residential roads.
The consultation will begin on 28 January and run for eight weeks.
Coventry Live
From Coventry Live:
The broadcaster Peter Hobday has died at the age of 82.
He'd been a regular presenter on the Today programme for 14 years until 1996.
Born in 1937 in Wolverhampton, Hobday went on to join the Wolverhampton Express and Star as a showbusiness editor.
He was an expert on economics and business, also fronting the Money Programme on BBC Two.
He also helped launch Newsnight in 1980.
Former Today presenter James Naughtie, who worked with him on the programme for two years, remembered his "jolliness" and described him as "a very learned man, terribly well-read and a man of vast accomplishments".
BBC News Travel
Alton Street in Ross on Wye has been closed for emergency underground cable work.
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BBC Radio Stoke Sport
The Crewe manager, David Artell, said the abuse of young winger Charlie Kirk from home fans is "disgusting" and makes his "blood boil" when he hears it.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe 21-year-old has six goals and 11 assists so far this season, but has been accused by some fans of avoiding tough challenges and kicked the ball towards fans in frustration.
Artell said he was "a young lad who's grown up immeasurably in the last three or four years" and called the abuse "unwarranted".
Clear skies have been making for some stunning sunrises across the region, as captured by the BBC Weather Watchers.
These were taken in Bromyard in Herefordshire by Postman Les, Whitton in Shropshire by Dirtylens and Lower Broadheath, Worcestershire by Mikesnapper.
Image source, Postman Les
Image source, Dirtylens
Image source, MikesnapperThieves have stolen a car from a Staffordshire supermarket car park, after spraying the driver in the face with an unknown substance.
Staffordshire Police said the 19-year-old and his passenger weren't seriously hurt as they were forced to get out of their car at the Asda in Wolstanton yesterday morning.
Image source, GoogleThe police have since confirmed the spray was non-corrosive and believe it was used as a distraction for the robbery.
They want to talk to two Asian men who were seen driving away in the grey Vauxhall Astra and a dark-coloured VW.
Concerns have been raised about building homes near the spot where 130,000 animal carcasses were buried during the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak.
The former Throckmorton airfield has been earmarked for 6,000 homes under the South Worcestershire Development Plan and the chair of its advisory board, councillor Lucy Hodgson, said they had to consider brownfield sites.
Image source, Getty ImagesA report commissioned by a number of parish councils in the area has said there is a danger the burial pits could be disturbed, but Malvern and Wychavon District Councils said it will not propose development within a certain proximity of the pits.
Worcester could have anti-terror barriers installed in the city centre, at a cost of £250,000.
The city council is going to consider 12 locations for barriers and bollards, like the temporary ones used during the Victorian Christmas Fayre.
The council has said making them permanent could save money in the long run, rather than paying for them to be installed and removed for individual festivals and events.
BBC Business News
Yesterday a leaked report suggested that the high-speed rail project HS2 could cost almost double the £56bn expected in 2015.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe transport secretary has asked for more information about the scheme as the government prepares to decide whether to go ahead with the project.
But Debbie Francis, managing director of Direct Rail Services - a government-owned private rail company – told the BBC's Wake Up to Money there was a “need” to build HS2 for freight companies.
“The main spine of the country on the London-North Western line is at capacity.
“HS2 is not being built so we can all get somewhere 15 minutes faster. It’s being built because there isn’t the capacity to expand the rail network for passengers or freight. For both of us, it’s a big win.”
Birmingham Live
From Birmingham Live:
Sima Kotecha
Midlands Correspondent, BBC News
The head of an education trust that runs a Birmingham school at the centre of protests against LGBT teaching is calling on the government to do more to promote integration among primary school children.
Image source, Getty ImagesHazel Pulley is the chief executive of the trust which runs Parkfield School.
The primary school last year faced protests from people angry at its No Outsiders classes, in which pupils are taught about same-sex relationships and other matters of equality.
The school has now implemented a new equality programme after consulting with parents called No Outsiders for a Faith Community.
The government said it's taking a number of steps to make sure the next generation has the right skills and experience to play a positive role in modern Britain.
It says the new relationships and sex education curriculum supports these aims.
Quote MessageI would really like the government to speak out more openly at their summits or media or whatever is their choice, around the aspects of integration and the importance of it for our pupils and children in school. If we're going to mix more openly and understand the differences across our country then we really need to be enabled to do this.
Hazel Pulley, Excelsior Multi Academy Trust
BBC News Travel
A crash involving multiple vehicles is blocking part of the M6 northbound in Warwickshire.
The ambulance service was called to the scene from J3 to J3A just after 09:00 and it currently has one ambulance and one paramedic crew at the scene.
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BBC News Travel
There's eight miles of queuing traffic on the M6 southbound in Birmingham.
Four cars are involved in a crash from J7 to J6 with congestion to J10A, the M54 interchange.
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