A 'veterans hub' offering mental health and other support services would be included.

Coronavirus infection rates continue to fall across the country.

In the West Midlands, Redditch and East Staffordshire are the only areas to have a rate of more than 100 new cases per 100,000 people.

Jack Barry, 19, was found seriously injured on Sunday night and pronounced dead at the scene.

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust is to review 107 deaths linked to hospital stays.

Birmingham Live

Here are three stories from Birmingham Live today:

• Car mechanic stole £115,000 from grandmother, external
• Huge £262k cannabis farm found, external
• Teenage boy left with serious injuries following stabbing, external

BBC Sport

The Coventry City chief executive has said he is looking forward to "building a positive and co-operative relationship with Wasps Group" after agreeing a return to the Ricoh Arena.

The football club left the stadium in 2019 after a dispute between their owners and the rugby club, but they've now agreed a 10-year deal for Coventry City home games to be played there.

Dave Boddy said: "The deal is also the best that the club has had at the Ricoh Arena in terms of access to commercial revenues."

Image source, Getty Images

Mr Boddy said work had started to prepare for the return of fans next season, but he asked them to be patient.

He also thanked West Midlands Mayor Andy Street for the role he played in bringing the parties together.

A sleepy badger has been rescued by the RSPCA after getting stuck in machinery at a building site in Dudley.

RSPCA officer Cara Gibbon said it was found "curled up sleeping underneath a power float machine.

"He’d climbed through a gap at the top of the machine and fallen into it before curling up and enjoying a little nap."

She added: "It was probably nice and warm and cosy in there.”

Image source, RSPCA

The machine, also know as a power trowel, is used by contractors to apply a smooth finish to concrete slabs.

The workmen helped her lift up the machinery and the badger "scurried off in a bit of a hurry."

Worcester Warriors prop Kai Owen signs a new undisclosed-length contract to remain at Sixways.

BBC Midlands Today

West Midlands Police still has a lot of work to do to create more trust in black communities, according to its chief constable.

Image source, Getty Images

Sir David Thompson told the BBC the "seismic events" of last summer's Black Lives Matter protests, in the wake of George Floyd's death, have not been lost on the force.

He said it had been working to recruit a more diverse workforce with 17% of current recruits from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.

The chief constable said officers had also been examining how they use stop-and-search powers in communities.

"There has been a lot of work going on around that, but certainly how we use our powers, how we demonstrate legitimacy and how we recruit our staff are the big focus," he said.

BBC Midlands Today

The length of time taken to get domestic abuse cases to court due to the Covid-19 backlog is "tremendously challenging" for victims, the chief constable of West Midlands Police said.

The backlog in the country's Crown Courts hit a record of 56,000 cases in February - meaning some cases are now being timetabled for 2023.

The wait comes as cases of domestic abuse have risen by 38% in the last year in the West Midlands and chief constable Sir David Thompson said they account for about a fifth of all the work his force does.

He told BBC Midlands Today: "For normal crimes, that [backlog] is very difficult - if it is crimes involving relationships, that is tremendously challenging and so we have got to make sure victims are supported."

The government has promised a court recovery plan including the current temporary Nightingale courts to tackle the backlog.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A veterans healthcare centre could be built at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Gobowen.

As well as offering orthopaedic treatment, it would have training facilities, a cafe and "veterans hub" offering mental health and other support services.

Image source, RJAH

Last year the hospital recieved a £6m grant from Headley Court Charity and a planning application has now been submitted to Shropshire Council.

The hospital already treats veterans within the outpatients site, but this would give them a dedicated three-storey building.

The hospital also wants to use the facility to improve training and research facilities for clinicians, physiotherapists and other professionals.

BBC News Travel

Network Rail says it appears the earlier fault with overhead lines near Gravelly Hill was caused by sheeting blown on to the line.

West Midlands Railway trains were disrupted and Network Rail has asked people to make sure anything near the line is properly secured.

But the good news is the fault with the overhead lines has now been fixed.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

Here are three stories from Stoke-on-Trent Live today:

• Garage boss charged with killing man who was due to stand trial, external
• Long-running family feud ends in street 'altercation', external
• Mystery man wins £300k on National Lottery, external

BBC CWR

A teenager is being treated for stab wounds after an incident on Broad lane in Coventry.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said it happened just after 10:00 and that the 16-year-old victim was in a stable condition in hospital, but had suffered serious injuries.

Two teenagers were arrested in connection with the attack and one has been taken to hospital to be checked over for minor injuries.

West Midlands Police said it did not appear he was stabbed.

The other boy is currently in custody where he will be questioned.

The Royal Stoke Hospital and hundreds of people complain about the Newcastle-under-Lyme smell.

Mohammed Haroon Zeb died in hospital after being found with bullet wounds on 31 January.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

The news that Coventry City will return to the Ricoh Arena next season has been welcomed by the leader of the city council.

Councillor George Duggins said it was "good news at a time when we desperately need it".

Mr Duggins added: “We are now going to be City of Culture, have the Commonwealth Games and the Rugby League World Cup so there is lots to look forward to and Coventry is clearly on the map."

BBC Radio Stoke

The company running a landfill in Newcastle-under-Lyme is going to start covering over a significant part of the site, after complaints about smells.

Red Industries said work to cap the waste at Walleys Quarry in Silverdale would start in the next few months and it had already been drilling new wells to manage the gas coming from the site.

The town's Conservative MP Aaron Bell raised the issue of the complaints in Parliament yesterday and called for a tougher laws on landfill emissions.

The nearby Royal Stoke University Hospital has also complained about the smell.

BBC News Travel

Rail services between Aston and Gravelly Hill in Birmingham are being delayed because of an issue with the overhead lines.

Network Rail said it is working to fix the fault and that an object has been caught in the overhead electric wires at Gravelly Hill.

Consequently, trains are currently unable to run between Birmingham New Street and Lichfield Trent Valley / Four Oaks.

Disruption is expected until 14:00.

BBC Radio Stoke Sport

Port Vale manager Darrell Clarke has told fans it might be next season before he can get the team playing the way he wants.

He's still looking for his first win after last night's 0-0 draw with Oldham and said afterwards "It was a decent performance but still a million miles away from where I'd like to be."

Image source, Getty Images

Port Vale are now six points above the relegation zone, but Clarke said introducing his style of play was difficult because training time was limited by the number of games between now and the end of the season.