A horse has been rescued by firefighters after getting stuck in the mud in a ditch.

Image source, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service

They were called to the area in Kidderminster yesterday morning, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said. , external

Fire crews cut away the undergrowth to get near the horse and then safely lifted it clear with straps and a telehandler., external

Image source, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service

Three teens and a 21-year-old died after a car hit a tree in Kingswinford, Dudley, last week.

Michele Paduano
Health correspondent, BBC Midlands Today

Children who need emergency treatment are being diverted from Heartlands Hospital two days a week.

Instead, ambulances are transporting them to Birmingham Children's Hospital.

University Hospital Birmingham says the move is to protect Heartlands' A&E department which is under intense pressure.

Image source, Google

A spokesman for the trust said: "Monday and Tuesday are peak times in the emergency department at Heartlands, support from Birmingham Children's Hospital takes off some of that pressure."

West Midlands Ambulance Service said the divert would be in place from 15.00 to 22.00 BST both days.

David Pittam
BBC News Online

Hospitals in some parts of the East Midlands are reporting a sharp rise in Covid-19 patients.

The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS trust said, external it has seen a "significant" increase in admissions and in response is asking visitors not to attend except in specific circumstances.

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS trust said, external it has seen "one of" its highest rises in the past 24 hours.

The trust, which is caring for 131 people including nine at Bassetlaw Hospital, warned patients this "means everything takes a little longer and makes everything just that bit harder" and urged them to follow guidance.

Image source, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Meanwhile, the medical director of Nottingham's two main hospitals said the number of inpatients is increasing, although demand on critical care is less than in April this year.

More than 300 pages of "solicitors letters" were laced with drugs and sent to inmates during a prison's Covid-19 lockdown.

The letters, marked as being from inmates' legal teams, were intercepted at HMP Birmingham in June.

Staff's efforts emerged in a report on standards since an inspector called the prison the worst he had ever seen.

Now a watchdog hopes improvements during the virus will help reshape the prison's future.

John Bray
BBC News

There are about 300 cars at the British Motor Museum in Warwickshire - but only one is adorned with 1,000 signatures.

The significance of that vehicle, tucked away alongside some of the greatest cars ever produced in Britain, is revealed by its number plate.

R100 END was the last Metro built at the Longbridge factory in Birmingham, and the signatures on its paintwork are from the men and women that helped to produce it.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Metro launch, and an online exhibition , externalhas been created by the British Motor Museum to celebrate a car that divided opinion.

Read more about the Metro and the growing affection from younger fans here on the BBC website.

Express and Star

The Express and Star is covering these stories today:

• Drug-related deaths soar to record high in West Midlands, external
• New £45 million School of Architecture opens at Wolverhampton University, external
• New family court to tackle drug and alcohol problems, external

Sophie Madden
BBC News

A service dealing with young offenders has been told to improve "at pace" after 11% of its under-16s were found not to be in education.

Image source, Getty Images

More than half of the children known to the Birmingham Youth Offending Service (YOS) were not in mainstream education, an inspection by HM Inspectorate of Probation found.

The service was rated as "requires improvement".

Birmingham Children's Trust, which runs the YOS, said improvements had begun.

BBC Radio Shropshire

People living in Wales but who have appointments at a hospital in Shropshire are being reassured they will still be able to get treatment.

Image source, PA Media

From Friday, Wales will go into a "short, sharp" national lockdown until 9 November.

The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital is in Gobowen, Oswestry, near the Welsh border.

The hospital said travelling for appointments and treatment would be allowed under the lockdown., external

BBC Weather

Showers this morning before it turns mainly dry with sunny spells but still with the odd chance of a shower. High: 17C/63F.

Clear spells this evening before turning cloudy with rain moving in from the south. Low: 12C/54F.

You can keep up-to-date on your local forecast by going to the BBC Weather website.

The material, purportedly from prisoners' legal teams, was intercepted by HMP Birmingham staff.

A new exhibition celebrates an "everyday" car that has divided opinion since 1980.

Inspectors found 11% of under-16s known to the service were not receiving any education.

Wolves' win at Leeds United, which moves them into sixth in the Premier League, was a "massive result" according to defender Conor Coady.

Birmingham City Council has spent thousands keeping the vacant Baverstock school safe from vandals.

West Brom and Burnley play out the first goalless draw in the Premier League this season, with both teams still searching for a first win.

An 18-year-old passenger died on Saturday, becoming the fourth to die after the Skoda hit a tree.

BBC Midlands Today

Work is well under way in Worcestershire to create an underwater fish viewing gallery.

It's being constructed in Worcester at Diglis Weir on the Severn (pictured above), where a fish pass is being built, so people can see the salmon migrating.

It's all part of a £20m improvement scheme for the river which was announced two years ago.

Nearby, a similar pass has been completed at Bevere weir (pictured below), to help migratory fish like salmon and shad to reach their spawning grounds.

Image source, Skynique Film Company

Eight people who claimed to be urban explorers in an old pub have been fined by police for breaking Covid-19 restrictions.

Image source, Google

The group were found on Sunday night after reports of suspicious activity at the Travellers Rest site in Leekbrook, near Leek, Staffordshire Police said., external

The Staffordshire Moorlands is currently in tier one – medium alert and the force said they had come from Macclesfield, Cheshire, which is currently in tier two – high alert.

They were given penalty notices for breaking the "rule of six" restriction.

Dozens of firefighters are tackling a fire at a derelict school in Birmingham this evening.

Image source, Google

Eight fire engines and 40 firefighters were called at 16:00 to the former Baverstock Academy on Baverstock Road, Druid's Heath, the fire service said. , external

The school has been shut since 2017.