Dave Courtney had a ticket to England's 4-2 victory over West Germany - but was too ill to go.

A man who claimed to be working for the coastguard has been stopped on the M6 for having fake emergency lights on his car.

Staffordshire Police said officers had pulled him over near the junction for Stafford at about 20:00 BST on Wednesday after he had been spotted driving at 95mph through a 60mph area.

When he was first seen he was using flashing lights at the front and back of his Ford Mondeo, but switched them off when the police approached with their own lights flashing.

Image source, Getty Images

The 34-year-old, from Blackpool, claimed he was responding to a callout in his home town, but checks confirmed he did not work for the Coastguard or any other authority.

It turned out he had travelled up from Oxfordshire using the emergency lights, the force said.

He was reported for summons for excess speed and for using a vehicle with blue beacons in a prohibited manner.

The remains are being treated as an unexplained death.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A 15-year-old girl with special needs was left at the wrong school in Birmingham, despite telling her bus driver and her guide she was going the wrong way, her family has said.

Earlier this week it was reported that a young boy who cannot speak was also dropped off at the wrong school and the city council said "Unfortunately at the start of term a very small number of pupils were transported to the wrong school by home to school transport providers".

The family in this latest case, who didn't want to be identified, said she had been left on the wrong side of the city for two hours and it had been very stressful for them.

The city council said it was undertaking a full investigation into how the mistakes were made.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Birmingham is going to find it "very challenging" to become carbon neutral by 2030, a report to the city council has said.

The authority had set itself the target of being the first city region to achieve this status, but the report suggested it won't be possible "without significant carbon offsetting”.

In June 2019 the council set the target after it agreed to a cross-party motion declaring a Climate Emergency and a plan was supposed to have been drawn up by January this year.

That plan hasn't yet been published and the campaign group Climate Action West Midlands said it should be produced and presented to council before the end of 2020.

Herefordshire Council's chief executive has announced he is standing down early next year, after eight years in the role.

He's the longest serving chief executive in the authority's history.

Image source, Herefordshire Council

The leader of the council, David Hitchiner, said he'd had a "remarkable career" and thanked him for his work during the recent floods and the coronavirus pandemic.

The council said it would make an announcement on the chief executive role at a later date.

Human remains have been found in a field near Frankley in Worcestershire.

West Mercia Police said they were discovered by a passer-by near Egg Hill Lane this morning and an investigation was in the "early stages".

Image source, Google

The death is being treated as unexplained at the moment and the body hasn't yet been identified.

The force said it could be a "lengthy process" to investigate the remains and Egg Hill Lane has been temporarily closed while initial inquiries are carried out.

Ian Bell has said "it's time to move on" after his final first class cricket match.

He made 50 and 90 for Warwickshire against Glamorgan this week, but speaking about his decision to retire, he said: "I don't feel sad, I feel quite happy. I'm looking back and I'm thinking about the good times."

Image source, Getty Images

Bell has won a series of titles with Warwickshire and England, including the Ashes and said he was "excited" to move on.

He's now preparing for his final T20 games for the county.

Andy Giddings
BBC News

It's known Birmingham currently has one of the highest Covid rates in the UK, and there are concerns about the rate of infections in Solihull and Wolverhampton, but some parts of the West Midlands are near the bottom of the infection rate tables.

Wyre Forest is the local authority area with the lowest rate, with just 7.9 cases per 100,000 in the week to 6 September.

Image source, Getty Images

That puts Wyre Forest in the bottom 100 of the England league table, along with Redditch, Shropshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Worcester, Cannock Chase and Herefordshire.

They all have a rate of 11 per 100,000 or less.

Wayne Bradley targeted hospitals and NHS staff during lockdown, police said.

Simon Gilbert
Political Reporter, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

A senior Coventry councillor has resigned from his position after being filmed breaching social distancing rules.

This week, a video emerged of Labour's Tariq Khan shaking hands, hugging people, receiving a garland and saluting to a camera in Edgwick Park, Foleshill, in August.

The Conservative Party had called for a vote of no confidence and now an internal message from council leader George Duggins confirmed the news that Mr Khan has now resigned.

It read that Mr Khan has requested 24 hours to "frame" his resignation and it confirmed that he had now stepped down from his post.

Mr Khan will remain in the Labour Party and as a councillor for Foleshill.

Police have made an arrest after a man was reportedly seen waving a gun inside a church in Walsall.

People living near a hospital in Birmingham are being asked to send in video messages of support to mark its 125-year anniversary.

Image source, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust

The commemoration of Heartlands Hospital will be in October and the NHS trust running it said it wanted video messages from the local community.

A compilation will be used on social media and the trust said people could also send in photographs of special memories of the hospital via an email address on its website., external

Zephaniah McLeod, 27, is charged with murder and seven counts of attempted murder.

Shropshire Star

Here are three stories from the Shropshire Star today:

• Testing appointments resume in Telford after ‘shambles’, external
• Mother in tears after being denied Covid test, external
• Date set for new NHS 111 first policy launch, external

Police are appealing for help finding a man who was reportedly waving a gun around inside a Walsall church this morning.

Armed officers and the police helicopter have searched the area near to St Paul's Church, in Darwall Street, and this CCTV image has been released of a man they want to talk to.

Image source, West Mids Police

Officers were called at about 09:40 BST, but they haven't found anyone yet.

The force is urging people not to approach him.

A vote of no confidence is going to be held about a Coventry city councillor who was filmed breaking social distancing rules at a large gathering at the weekend.

Tariq Khan, the Labour councillor for Foleshill, was filmed shaking hands and hugging people at Edgwick Park and the Conservative group on the council said he must resign from his post as cabinet member for communities and housing.

Image source, PA Media

The council said it was investigating the incident, which it said was a "clear breach of public health guidance".

Mr Khan and the Coventry Labour group haven't commented, but the council leader George Duggins said: “I totally support the council’s statement.”

The new chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover takes up the role today.

Thierry Bollore has a background in the car manufacturing industry as the previous CEO of Renault.

Image source, Reuters

Mr Bollore succeeds former JLR boss Sir Ralf Speth, who remains as non-executive vice chairman.

BBC Radio Stoke

The Conservatives have narrowly won the vote to have their candidate elected mayor of Stoke-on-Trent.

It's the first test of the voting power of their new minority administration after four councillors defected to join them last week.

Image source, Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Today the Conservatives got the backing of the four independents to elect councillor Ross Irving to the post, by 23 votes to 20.

The festival will hold a virtual event due to the pandemic, with people asked to donate online.