BBC Weather

Cloudy and dull for much of today but it should stay dry and the cloud may break up in places this afternoon bringing some sunny spells. High: 21C/70F.

Image source, BBC Weather Watcher Tippytoes

The cloud will keep breaking up tonight leaving skies largely clear by dawn and it should stay dry throughout. Low: 12C/54F.

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

Welcome to our live service for Wednesday.

We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather for the West Midlands.

We love to hear from you so share your news, thoughts and photos of the area with us via email, Twitter , externaland Facebook, external.

Charity Sense says its research shows disabled people have become fearful about going out again.

The area, which includes Leamington Spa and Kenilworth sees a 223% increase in cases in a week.

A 44-year-old man was found at the Rowley Regis premises on Monday afternoon, police say.

Live updates have now ended for the West Midlands.

We'll be back with you from 08:00 on Wednesday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather.

Kaylee-Jayde Priest had previous injuries such as broken ribs when she died in Kingshurst, Solihull.

Warrington hooker Danny Walker signs a new deal to remain with the Super League club for a further 12 months.

Dalian Atkinson's family say they are shocked PC Monk was not sacked for gross misconduct earlier.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

More than 1,600 pupils and staff in Worcestershire are currently out of school because of Covid, the latest figures show.

A total of 1,632 staff and pupils are currently self-isolating due to 43 positive coronavirus cases at 25 of the county's schools.

The news comes as government ministers reveal plans to put a stop to pupils and staff automatically isolating after coming into contact with a positive Covid case when schools return in September.

Image source, PA Media

The Department for Education said ministers have written to secondary schools asking them to prepare to potentially replace isolation rules with testing.

He is the first to be convicted of manslaughter as a result of police contact in more than 30 years.

A £1.9bn deal to deliver regeneration plans for the area around the Bull Ring Markets in Birmingham has been signed.

Image source, Birmingham City Council

The 17 hectare site, known as Smithfield, is set to bring 3,000 homes and up to 8,000 jobs to the city, the council said.

It said it is now working on a planning application which will include public spaces, leisure facilities and public transport connections as well as living and office space.

These plans, once finalised, will then go to a public consultation.

A £25.5m revamp of Warwick Arts Centre has been completed after four years of work.

Staff say the refurbishment has created an "exciting, modern and accessible new space" - bringing three new cinemas, more spacious foyer and new restaurant to the 47-year-old centre at Warwick University.

Its director Doreen Foster said: "With people throughout the UK and Europe set to visit our city to mark Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture, 2021 is set to be for exciting time for arts and culture in our region – and I’m delighted that we will be part of its success."

Image source, Warwick University

The complex is opening on 1 October, but is hosting some events over the summer, including the art exhibition Curious Objects of Women's Independence, external.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Plans have been put forward for new warehouse developments on a brownfield site in Wolverhampton.

Schroder UK Real Estate Fund wants to create four buildings on the existing Tata Steel site, which it owns, off Steelpark Way, which has previously been used for open air storage.

It said the development would create more than 19,100 square metres of commercial floorspace and create 248 new jobs.

Image source, UMC Architects

The plans were received by City of Wolverhampton Council on Friday, external and will be decided in due course.

Five men died when a wall collapsed at a recycling plant in Birmingham where they were working.

Footage of Benjamin Monk's police interview shows him insisting he kicked the footballer once.

Benjamin Monk now faces a fast-track misconduct process by his employer West Mercia Police.

Two company directors are set to stand trial over the deaths of five men at a recycling plant.

Almamo Jammeh, Ousmane Diaby, Bangally Dukureh, Saibo Sillah and Mahamadou Jagana died at Shredmet's premises in Birmingham on 7 July 2016 when a wall collapsed, smothering them in hundreds of tonnes of metal ingots.

Wayne Hawkeswood, 50, of Riverside Works in Nechells, has been charged with four breaches of the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act, including two which allege an "offence was committed with your consent or connivance or was attributable to your neglect".

He appeared at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday to plead not guilty to the charges.

Graham Woodhouse, 54, also of Riverside Works, denied four offences related to his duties as an employer on or about 7 July 2016.

ENSCO 10101, formerly Shredmet, and its predecessor Hawkeswood Metal Recycling are also being prosecuted.

The companies, both of Riverside Works, indicated not guilty pleas through their lawyers at the hearing.

A trial date of 17 October 2022 was set.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

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

• 'Stolen' car crashes into Stoke-on-Trent pub, external
• Stokie nurse loses 12st and has last laugh as she rejects man who fat-shamed her, external
• Family's heartbreak after 'larger-than-life' diver dies at sea, external

JCB has started a recruitment drive to employ 500 agency shop floor staff at its factories in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Wrexham.

About 300 agency employees will also be offered permanent contracts.

In March the Uttoxeter-based digger maker announced it was hiring more than 400 agency employees, on top of jobs previously announced, bringing the total number of permanent jobs to 1,000, the company said.