Firefighters were called to a serious blaze at a paint factory in Wolverhampton in the early hours of this morning.

West Midlands Fire Service said crews were called to The Flint Group on Old Heath Road in the Heath Town area shortly after midnight.

There were no reported injuries, the fire service said, and the fire has since been contained.

Sara Blizzard
BBC Weather

It's a wet and windy start to the day after some heavy overnight rain.

Gradually we'll see some breaks in the clouds, but there will still be some showers and it will be a bit blowy too.

Expect temperatures of up to15C (59F).

West Midlands Police denies it happened and says a video on social media is "misleading".

The 9% uptake in the city puts Stoke-on-Trent among the lowest rates in the country.

They plead not guilty to charges relating to the deaths of Sanjay Singh, 10, and toddler Pawanveer.

Megan Baker and Tristan Holmes marry thanks to a prize open to NHS workers with virus-hit plans.

West Midlands Police says officers have discovered a sizeable cannabis grow in Dudley.

Local councillor Damian Corfield, who visited the site on Thursday, described it as a "great result"., external

A Birmingham GP says he has had to cancel "several hundreds" of appointments at his clinic.

Telford and Wrekin Council says it plans to bring at least 375 long-term empty properties back into use over the next five years as part of a "robust enforcement regime".

Image source, Getty

The borough has 1,009 properties classed as "long-term empty" as they have been vacant for more than six months; while 214 have been empty for more than two years, it said.

The local authority said such homes could attract anti-social behaviour and be an environmental issue for neighbours.

It plans to take action from the moment a property is reported empty in a bid to "provide homes for those in housing need, particularly the most vulnerable".

Deputy leader of the Labour-run council Richard Overton said: "We are committed to working with owners but will also use our enforcement powers where we need to.

"Tackling these properties and improving the visual amenity and street scene in our neighbourhoods will have a knock-on positive effect by increasing the value of surrounding property and the overall attractiveness of the borough for investment.”

Express and Star

Here are some of the stories on the Express & Star website:

• PCR test centres to close early despite rising Covid rates, external
• Chubby Brown hoping to return to city next year despite Bilston show controversy, external
• Motorbike rider critically injured in crash with van near Sedgley, external

Image source, Nick Potts/PA Media

The head of Wasps Group, which owns Coventry Building Society Arena, says news the venue will host this year's MOBO awards is "very special indeed".

Fans can attend the awards, which have celebrated music of black origin since 1996, with tickets for the 5 December event on sale on the arena's website from midday tomorrow.

The arena, which hosts Wasps' teams and sawthe Sky Blues returnthis season, has also hosted some of the music industry's biggest names, including the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen.

Former England back-row James Haskell is forced to abandon a career in mixed martial arts - and wants to become a stand-up comic.

Inspectors find "unacceptable" techniques at two Staffordshire hospitals rated inadequate once again.

The pair's injuries are consistent with those from a shotgun being fired, detectives say.

BBC Radio Stoke

A Stoke City fan died on his way home from the team's defeat in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

Image source, Reuters

The man suffered a cardiac arrest on a footpath off Highfield Drive, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, just before 22:00 on Wednesday, the ambulance service said.

Several fans came to help and gave him CPR before paramedics arrived.

The ambulance service said he was taken to hospital, but died shortly after arriving.

Stoke City said the thoughts of everyone at the club were with the man's family and friends.

Fans will be able to get tickets to attend the show, which takes place on 5 December 2021.

The artworks, designed by young people, highlight biodiversity loss and climate change.

The leader of Coventry City Council says the city is "absolutely delighted" to host this year's MOBO awards on 5 December.

Organisers announced the awards will be held at Coventry Building Society Arena, with fans able to attend.

Image source, MOBO

Councillor George Duggins said: "We feel Coventry is the perfect venue to welcome the UK’s biggest celebration of black music and culture.

"As a proud and modern multi-cultural city and one that has an excellent national reputation for successfully hosting major events, I’m sure the MOBO awards will be another great success, and great that it’s the first time they’ve been held in the Midlands too."

He added the move also fitted its pride and ambition in its year as UK City of Culture.

Tickets, which start from £35, will go on sale at the arena's website, external from 12:00 on Friday. The event will also be live-streamed on YouTube and there will be coverage on BBC One and Radio 1Xtra.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Alex Moore

The chair of a regional economic body has cautiously welcomed Rishi Sunak’s budget, but is “disappointed” at the lack of clarity over the future of organisations like hers.

The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership covers Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin, distributing grants and helping businesses set up and grow.

A government-commissioned a review of England’s 38 LEPs, looking at their role, has yet to report.

Marches LEP chairman Mandy Thorn MBE said the “unreasonable” lack of clarity over their future is “putting the partnerships and the jobs of their dedicated teams at risk”.

Covid-19 rates have fallen for the first time in several weeks in many parts of the West Midlands.

However, 18 of the 30 local authority areas in the region continued to see rises, including Warwick, which remains among England's hotspots.

Its rate rose from 625 new infections per 100,000 people to 704 in the seven days up to and including 23 October.

Worcester saw a 42% rise in its rate, to 484 per 100,000 people in the same period, although it remains low compared with many other areas in England.

Image source, EPA

Several parts of the West Midlands that have been among the worst affected in England in recent weeks have continued to see falls in their rates, including Nuneaton, Staffordshire Moorlands, Cannock Chase and Lichfield. Cases in Rugby were also stable.

Many other areas also saw falls, including Stoke-on-Trent, Wyre Forest, Redditch and Shropshire.

Telford & Wrekin, however had a 9% rise in new cases - reaching 1,133 in the week up to 23 October.