Birmingham City Council said 79 children with special needs in the city are without a school place.

BBC Radio Shropshire Sport

The New Saints of Oswestry manager Scott Ruscoe is looking to make up for the disappointment of surrendering their league title last season, after coronavirus ended the season early.

They lost out to Connah's Quay on a points-per-game basis, denying them the chance to make it nine league titles in a row and Ruscoe said they wanted to prove how good they are.

Image source, TNS

TNS kick off the season on Saturday with a match against Barry Town and Ruscoe added: "There's no greater incentive than to go back and get our hands on that trophy."

Wasps' teenage flanker Alfie Barbeary says his challenge is to consistently perform at the highest level after scoring a hat-trick against Leicester.

You've been telling us your stories about long journeys you've had to make to coronavirus testing centres.

Jodie Brampton wrote this on the BBC Midlands Facebook page, external: "My daughter had to go for one. She has special needs and we had to drive from Evesham to Cardiff in Wales."

And Saul Faulkner commented: "Some friends of mine have been trying to book tests for their kids for two days. Drove to Telford and suffered the same result. They were offered South Wales, Essex or Inverness."

Nicola Spears said: "I live in Worcester. Nearest test available yesterday was Gatwick, 111 miles away, and no test kits available to order. Kids are back at school and all need testing before being allowed to go back in."

But some people appear to have been getting tested closer to home.

Donna Marie Mason wrote: "Me and my partner got a test today two miles away from us, no problems and there was no queue or hold up, nothing."

BBC Radio Stoke

Today's vote to elect a new Lord Mayor for Stoke-on-Trent could indicate how the political make-up of the city council will affect future votes.

The Conservatives recently gained four councillors after defections from the City Independents and Labour and that meant the end of the coalition which has run the council.

But the Conservatives don't have a majority of their own either and will rely on councillors without a party to back them tonight.

If they can show this works, they might be able to pass their own motions in future.

Jelena Sofronijevic tells a story of Serbia, Yugoslavia - and Telford.

In this talk Jelena explores questions of diasporic identity through her family's connection with Yugoslavia, a country which no longer exists. On a visit to Serbia, she discovers that her upbringing in Telford had been more traditionally ‘Serbian’ than that of her Belgrade and Novi Sad relatives. And she finds herself, despite being born after Yugoslavia ceased to exist, drawn to its blended nationalism; her lived experiences traversing harsh borders. And she likens Yugoslavia, a country born of republics, to her home town of Telford, itself a collection of small, independent towns.

Producers: Giles Edwards and Peter Snowdon.

The police have responded to complaints from Churnet Valley Railway after a break-in which resulted in thousands of pounds worth of signalling equipment being stolen.

The railway wrote on its Facebook page: "Following a lack of response to previous calls through official channels, due to an over complicated reporting system that fails to deal with reports made to Staffordshire Police, we have felt it futile in reporting this case."

It said it felt, "the chances of a positive outcome have shown to be minimal or non existent".

Image source, Churnet Valley Railway

Chief Inspector Mark Thorley responded: "We have not received any crime reports from Churnet Valley Railway in the last 12 months."

And it said that while officers have been to visit the railway, it needs further information to progress their investigation.

Worcester City FC played their first league game at their new Claines Lane home last night.

The club's had to play home matches away from Worcester for the past seven years after leaving St George's Lane.

Image source, Getty Images

The result went against them though, as City slipped to a 0-1 defeat against Tividale.

Police have discovered drugs with an estimated street value of £400,000 at properties linked to a Coventry landlord.

Vacuum-packed cannabis was found under floorboards at one address belonging to a 44-year-old "rogue landlord" who has been arrested on suspicion of money laundering and drug supply.

Image source, West Midlands Police

West Midlands Police said officers had searched seven properties belonging to the man which are suspected to be linked to organised crime and the exploitation of immigrant workers.

The force also found about £40,000 in cash - some of which had been hidden under a bed at one property - and about 400 cannabis plants.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Image source, West Midlands Police

Four men, aged between 23 and 36, were arrested on suspicion of drugs offences but have since been released under investigation.

Coventry Live

Here are three stories from the Coventry Telegraph website:

• Another Coventry secondary school reports Covid case, external
• Claims people 'turned away' from coronavirus test centre, external
• Traveller funeral leads to traffic warning, external

Four men are being questioned over what police call a violent attack at a shop in Stoke-on-Trent, which left one person needing medical care.

Armed police were sent to the One Stop Shop on Community Drive in Smallthorne on Tuesday night.

Image source, Google

The local men, aged between 19 and 38, were arrested on arrested on suspicion of violence against the person.

John Bray
BBC News

A new photography exhibition as part of Birmingham Heritage Week , externalincludes 400 "rare" photos of Bournville.

The village was created for Cadbury's employees, complete with schools, a railway station, leisure facilities and parks and was very different from the slums associated with many factories of the age.

Image source, The Bournville Society

The photos have been brought together thanks to the work of members of the Bournville Society, who had researched and sourced them.

A CCTV appeal has helped West Midlands Police identify 10 people thought to be involved in trouble at a Coventry City promotion party.

The force said the alleged violence broke out when two men carrying a knife approached a group of fans and it resulted in bottles and other missiles being thrown at police officers.

Officers are still trying to identify these five people as part of the investigation:

Image source, West Midlands Police

Image source, West Midlands Police

West Bromwich Albion forward Kyle Edwards releases a track to celebrate promotion to the Premier League.

A teenager has been airlifted to hospital after collapsing during a football match in Shropshire.

Emergency services were called to the Ellesmere Rangers ground shortly after 19:15.

Paramedics arrived to find the boy in a critical condition and receiving help from a bystander, said the ambulance service.

Paramedics treated him at the scene, before he was taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.

Staffordshire County Council has said it's looking at alternative local coronavirus testing after problems with the national booking system.

People in the area have complained of being offered tests in Oldham, Telford and even Wallasey in Merseyside.

Image source, Getty Images

The council said it had raised the issue as a matter of urgency with the government.

It was a similar story in Telford earlier this week, where a test centre was forced to close.

BBC Weather

It's going to be a little bit cooler today, with a bit more cloud, with temperatures reaching 17C (63F).

But the weekend is forecast to be hot and sunny, with temperatures up to around 25C (77F).

Image source, Manifoldvalley

Andy Giddings
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Thursday.

We'll be bringing you all the latest updates for the West Midlands.

You can let us know about stories in your area via email,Twitter , externaland Facebook., external

Dan Pendry-Moore hopes to help those with mental health problems in the modified car community.

More than 400 rare photographs go on display showing how an entrepreneur's vision became a reality.