BBC Sport

Sir Lee Pearson said winning his 12th Paralympic title at the Tokyo Paralympics on a home-bred horse is "literally fairytale stuff".

Image source, PA Media

The Para-equestrian star, who made his debut at Sydney 2000, and his horse Breezer, claimed victory in the Grade II individual test.

Speaking on Channel 4, Pearson said winning was emotional and he was proud of his horse.

"I just feel so lucky I've got horses in my life, They give me their legs, I'm useless at dancing in real life but we can dance here," he said.

The five most promising entries in a National Highways competition to identify new solutions for dealing with graffiti have been announced.

Image source, National Highways

They include a wall-climbing robot (pictured), created by Birmingham-based HausBots, which can apply graffiti-preventative paints.

The winning ideas also include audio sensors detecting the application of graffiti in order to alert authorities and trigger audio and visual deterrents (Innovation Factory) and AI software analysing behaviour to detect vandals at graffiti hotspots before deterrents such as alarms and lights can be activated (Sensing Feeling).

These ideas will each get up to £30,000. The winners will use the money to develop their idea and produce a feasibility study for National Highways, which will decide the most promising products to take forward for using on the road network.

Image source, National Highways

Trials, which took place at Spaghetti Junction in Birmingham, included this system above that blasts off graffiti with recycled glass pellets.

Express and Star

The Express and Star has these headlines today:

• Afghanistan refugees arriving in region as deadline to flee Taliban approaches, external
• Peaky Blinders writer helping to create Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, external
• Storm 'Dudley' set to blow across UK this winter, external

Former England and Sussex captain Ted Dexter has died aged 86.

Image source, Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Nicknamed 'Lord Ted', Dexter was an aggressive batsman and useful seam bowler who played 62 Tests for England and was captain between 1961-1964.

He led Sussex to victory in the first two editions of the limited-overs Gillette Cup and went on to make a surprise two-Test comeback in 1968.

In a statement, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) described Dexter, who lived in Wolverhampton, as "one of England's greatest ever cricketers".

Pop star Ed Sheeran has performed to 700 fans in Coventry to celebrate the opening of HMV Empire in Hertford Street.

Image source, Jamie Carter/hmv/PA Wire

Image source, Jamie Carter/hmv/PA Wire

The concert last night was part of celebrations for the company's centenary, with tickets issued in a free draw.

Those not able to snag a ticket were able to watch Sheeran's set on a live stream in Assembly Festival Garden.

Image source, Paul Greenwood/hmv/PA Wire

Image source, Paul Greenwood/hmv/PA Wire

Among the lucky 700 fans were Margaret, aged 77, who came to the gig with daughter Marie, who had just finished a 12-hour shift on a trauma ward.

Barney Storey says watching his wife win her 15th Paralympic gold medal from home was "surreal".

A food bank opens as a temporary clothing centre for parents in need of uniform.

It has been accused by a council of operating as a hostel without planning approval.

People in Wolverhampton are being warned after 1,000 people tested positive for coronavirus in the past week.

City of Wolverhampton Council said the city's Covid-19 infection rates were higher than any other part of the Black Country and Birmingham.

Latest figures show there were 375.9 new cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people over the past seven days with hospital admissions also rising.

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, it said, currently had about 60 positive Covid-19 patients.

Image source, Getty Images

John Denley, Wolverhampton's director of public health, said the situation was concerning.

“We always knew that, as society opened back up, infection rates would rise and we expect numbers to increase further still when children return to school next month.

"Fortunately, we are also seeing the positive effect that the vaccination programme is having, with hospitalisations and deaths much lower now than they were during the peak of the third wave."

Prof David Loughton, Chief Executive of the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, added: “I would encourage all adults to get their vaccine so they can be protected from this deadly virus and please remember to fully benefit from that protection, you must have both doses."

A man who was seriously hurt in a hit-and-run has had an operation, after previously saying he had been waiting for surgery for nearly two years.

Image source, Dominic Allan

Staff nurse at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley Dominic Allan was struck as he got out of a taxi near his home in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in the early hours in May 2019.

The father-of-two has been wearing a protective helmet and an operation to put a titanium plate in his head at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham was cancelled four times.

But surgery has taken place and on Wednesday Mr Allan said he had got a headache but was OK.

Last week University Hospitals Birmingham trust said it was "doing everything possible" to minimise the impact of "pressures".

It stated surgery for some patients may have been rescheduled on more than one occasion "due to rising emergency admissions" and Covid-19 "related pressures on staffing and ICU capacity".

Following the release of the trust's statement, Mr Allan later told the BBC on Thursday that he had a date for surgery.

Mazen Salmou and Charlotte Marsland looked after isolated people in Worcestershire.

Newspapers dating from 1894 are among items ecovered from a time capsule found under a library.

Woodside Library in Dudley is being moved brick-by-brick to the Black Country Living Museum and the capsule was discovered in the process.

So delicate it could only be opened safely by experts, its contents have now been examined by Drakon Heritage.

Image source, Dudley Council

It contained three newspapers, all dated Saturday 1 July,1894, the day the library on Stourbridge Road officially opened.

It also contained slips containing the names of people involved either in building the library or the opening ceremony, a book containing a list of the council committees at the time and a letter written by David Millington, chairman of the library committee, to the Earl and the Countess of Dudley to thank them for attending the opening ceremony.

Image source, Dudley Council

Patrick Harley, leader of the council, said: "This was a fascinating find and only serves to underline the historical importance of the building."

Coventry Live

Here are some of the headlines from the Coventry Live website today:

• The 20 Covid hotspots mapped across Coventry and Warwickshire, external
• Airbnb stay ends in prison for Coventry man as 'beautiful girl' turned out to be 12 , external
• Demolition of inferno-hit Prologis warehouse gets under way, external

Police appeal for information about the killing of Veronica Anderson on the 30th anniversary of her death.

Birmingham Live

Here are some of the headlines from the Birmingham Live website today:

• Man in five-hour rooftop stand-off with police after cannabis factory discovered , external
• Serial burglar with 30 convictions in 20 years avoids jail for latest Saltley raid, external
• Inside massive clothes factory churning out Boss and Stone Island fakes for markets, external

The male kitten is in good health and being cared for at a vets clinic in the West Midlands.

A senior officer urges people to "think before they call" after the report to West Midlands Police.

Lisa Wright
BBC News, West Midlands

He's been filming in Birmingham for a few days now, but there was still much excitement as we spotted Tom Cruise in Grand Central this morning.

The centre has been transformed into a film set while the Hollywood superstar films Mission: Impossible 7.

We caught a glimpse of Cruise as he was filmed, along with extras, travelling down an escalator, and he even pleased waiting fans with a wave as they called his name.

Part of the shopping centre remains shut while filming continues.

Craig Fairclough targeted a woman weeks after trying to rob a 12-year-old girl, a court is told.

A motorcyclist has died following a crash with a stationary car in Birmingham last night.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said it was called at 21:15 BST on Tuesday to reports a motorbike had hit a stationary car in Coventry Road, Sheldon.

On arrival, it said, the motorcyclist had been in a critical condition and had received advanced trauma care, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the car was treated for minor injuries, the service added.

Image source, Google

Sgt Mark Crozier, from West Midlands Police, said it was investigating the circumstances of the crash and urged anyone with information to come forward.