Plans for urban forests and woodlands are announced to mark 500 days until Commonwealth Games.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Hundreds of people are missing out on unclaimed council tax refunds in Coventry.

Image source, Local Democracy Reporting Service

A total of 11,331 council tax refunds have been issued this financial year, with the vast majority successfully cleared.

If the council tax was paid by direct debit, the refund will usually be paid back into the bank account where payments were taken from, but 715 uncleared refunds remain, totalling £34,853.

The council said refunds not cleared will be offset against future bills if the account remains live, however refunds to closed accounts will be retained by the authority until claimed - with the onus on residents.

A spokesman said: "When the credit is generated we issue a payment to the customer by BACS, where we hold bank details, and by cheque where we do not have bank details... We currently have 87 closed accounts, where we hold no forwarding address."

Ian Rogers, chairman of Coventry Citizens Party, who submitted a Freedom of Information request, said: "The point was to help people at a time when they needed it most not offset the value against future bills."

Police say they are still determined to get justice for the family of the missing estate agent.

Coventry Live

Here are some of the stories on the Coventry Live website:

• Cruel Gumtree conman puts Coventry mum of four at risk of homelessness, external
• Cycle route and average speed cameras planned on major Coventry route, external
• Major changes at Coventry railway station as latest transformation phase gets under way, external

Developers said one of the proposed towers could become Birmingham's tallest building.

BBC Midlands Today

Wolves head coach Nuno has thanked fans for buying virtual tickets to help feed the city's most vulnerable.

The club are selling the tickets for this evening's Premier League game against Liverpool.

By Friday they had sold 1,000 tickets raising £60,000.

Image source, Wolves Foundation

The RSPCA is warning about the dangers of "deadly glue traps" after "a poor buzzard almost died getting stuck on one".

Legal glue traps, also known as glue boards or sticky traps, consist of a sheet of cardboard, plastic or wood coated with non-drying adhesive and are generally used to catch rodents, the animal charity said.

Image source, RSPCA

A man came across the buzzard thrashing around on a trap and alerted the animal welfare charity, after the bird was spotted with his wing stuck in Bromsgrove on 8 March.

RSPCA animal rescuer Rachel Ward said the buzzard got the trap off, but he was "very tired", sitting in a nearby bush and "unable to get the lift off to fly".

Image source, RSPCA

She added: "I monitored him and luckily he was eventually able to fly off - but he could so easily have suffered... death had he not been able to get free."

The charity is encouraging people not to set glue traps because of "the dangers they pose to wildlife and even pets".

An MP says the University of Manchester's guidance on inclusive language is "wokery gone mad".

Mazammal Butt was stabbed after a heated row with his brother-in-law in a car park near his shop.

Joanne Gallacher
Political reporter, BBC Radio Shropshire

Telford Conservative MP Lucy Allan says the "policing of the Clapham Common vigil was shocking".

Hundreds gathered at a bandstand in south London on Saturday evening to remember Sarah Everard, who went missing while walking home from a friend's house on 3 March.

Four people were arrested for public order and coronavirus regulation breaches, the Met Police said.

Ms Allan believes the issue is with the Coronavirus Act, which requires police to "enforce the criminalisation of peaceful protest".

She said: "When we hand so much power to the State the expectation is that it will be used proportionately.

"Now we have seen how these powers are exercised in practice we must question... whether renewing the powers can be justified."

Image source, UK Parliament

But, the MP is expected to support a bill being discussed today which would give police more powers.

She said: "The sentencing bill refers to protests that may cause 'serious disruption', such as to transport, main roads, bridges. The Clapham Common vigil would not have been covered by the sentencing bill."

Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick has dismissed calls to resign and defended the force's actions.

Dame Cressida said she agreed on the need for a "sober review" and defended how officers responded to the "really big crowd".

Jamila Azad says she "wasn't thinking" when she described having a jab from a "private" doctor.

The Department for Transport is creating a second headquarters in Birmingham and a new hub in Leeds.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

Here are some of the stories on the Stoke-on-Trent Live website:

• Families 'living in hell’ as housing estate access road blocked off for two years, external
• Pedestrian breaks both legs after being hit by car in this Stoke-on-Trent crash, external
• Covid outbreak at North Staffordshire school sees pupils told to self-isolate, external

BBC Midlands Today

Birmingham's famous St Patrick's Day parade has been cancelled for the second year in a row because of coronavirus restrictions.

Image source, Bianca Harvey/Birmingham St Patrick's Day Festival

The parade through Digbeth is the third largest in the world and would have taken place next Sunday.

Instead there will be a week of live streamed performances by cultural groups and a special video memorial service.

It's hoped the parade, which began in 1952, will return next year.

A man died and two others were injured, when a car went down an embankment on the M42 motorway.

Image source, Google

The passenger was confirmed dead at the scene following the crash, which happened on the southbound stretch between junction 3 and 2 for Alvechurch at about 20:15 on Sunday, West Midlands Ambulance Service said.

The driver and another passenger managed to get out of the vehicle.

Both men were treated at the scene for non-serious injuries before being taken to hospital.

Alfie, 14, from Shropshire, had his leg amputated after being diagnosed with bone cancer.

The latest news and updates from across the West Midlands and south Cheshire.

Birmingham City are set to confirm the sacking of head coach Aitor Karanka after less than eight months in charge.

A man has been charged with murder after a teenager was fatally stabbed in Birmingham.

Jack Barry, 19, was found seriously injured in West Road, Hamstead, just after 21:45 on 7 March and died at the scene.

Image source, Family handout

A post-mortem examination found he died as a result of a stab wound, West Midlands Police said.

Cameron Cheshire, 18, of West Road, Great Barr, is due to appear before magistrates in Birmingham later.

BBC Weather

It'll be dry and mostly cloudy today with highs of 11C/52F.

We'll have a chilly night with some rain moving in tonight. Lows of 6C/43F.

There's more at BBC Weather.

Image source, Tippytoes