A man has been arrested on suspicion of the production of cannabis after plants were discovered at a property in Telford.

West Mercia Police officers carried out a warrant on Blacksmiths Drive in Ketley Bank on Saturday.

The force said it seized a "large quantity" of cannabis plants.

The man, aged 44, was later released under investigation.

Image source, West Mercia Police

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service's new chief, Rob Barber, has said he is "honoured" by the appointment.

Mr Barber, who was previously the service’s deputy chief fire officer, takes up his new role today after a 24-year career.

He started as a firefighter at Newcastle Fire Station in 1997 and spent the majority of the next 10 years stationed between Newcastle and Hanley stations.

In 2007 he was promoted to station manager at Burton-on-Trent Fire Station and moved between there, Tamworth and his former stations before transferring to service headquarters in 2012.

He became a principal officer in 2014 and went on to be appointed as deputy chief in 2016.

Image source, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service

“I will work hard to support all of our people in order to deliver the highest level of safety, through prevention, protection, and response," he said.

“There are numerous challenges ahead, however. "I know that both our operational and non-operational personnel work tirelessly on a daily basis to support their communities and I recognise that it is these people who deliver the outstanding service.

“Therefore, it is an honour to be able to lead this organisation.”

A firefighter from Hereford and Worcester Fire Service has run the Manchester Marathon to raise money for charity.

Watch Commander Tom Rowberry, based at Hereford fire station, is raising money for the Little Princess Trust which provides free, real-hair wigs when children lose their own hair due to cancer or other conditions.

So far, he has raised more than £600.

Image source, Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service

The 38-year-old said of the 10 October event: “It was a really warm day but I managed to complete the distance in a satisfactory 4 hours 40 minutes even though I was nursing a couple of injuries.

“This was my fourth marathon and the atmosphere was great."

Five men have been convicted of murdering Abdul Rahman Abubaker in Birmingham in 2018.

It comes after a rise in the number of cases in Walsall, the council says.

Covid cases are continuing to rise in Dudley borough, with the largest number of cases being seen in children and young people, the local authority says.

There has been a large number of outbreaks in educational settings, it says, with a rate of 530.7 cases per 100,000 10-to-19-year-olds recorded last week.

Borough-wide there was a total of 1,422 cases in the week from 5 October to 11 October.

Image source, Getty Images

Councillor Nicolas Barlow, cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said: "Much like many areas of the country, we are seeing an increased number of Covid cases in our children and young people and some of our educational settings are experiencing outbreaks.

"Public health is working with schools to look at possible ways to reduce transmission and keep everyone safe. Today we have written to parents and carers to explain how they can support their child’s school if measures are temporarily reintroduced.

"I would remind everyone in the community that they can also play their part by regularly taking Lateral Flow Tests."

Sharan Kaur Kullar, 34, dies just four weeks after being diagnosed with bowel cancer.

A driver had to be cut free from a car that crashed with a van, closing a road in Wolverhampton.

The woman was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital, said the ambulance service.

Image source, West Midlands Fire Service

The fire service says Bridgnorth Road in Shipley is closed for investigations.

Emergency services were called to the scene near Shipley Hall shortly after 09:20.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Councils in the Black Country are spending more to help people on benefits with their housing costs amid a "perfect storm" of needs in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions have revealed that local authorities in the area handed out a combined £4.7m in discretionary housing payments in 2020/21.

The payments are top-ups given out by councils with the aim of preventing homelessness.

The amount awarded has increased from £4.4m in 2019/20, although most of the pot comes from central government.

Image source, Google

Every council is allocated an amount towards the payments, but in many cases, local authorities are required to swell the sum using their own funds.

Councils in the Black Country were allocated £4.5m between them, meaning they had to shell out a net total of more than £100k of their own money. Dudley, Sandwell, and Walsall councils all had to add to their government contribution, while Wolverhampton spent less than the allocated amount.

Thomas Cave, from anti-poverty charity Turn2us, said: “Too many people have to top up their rent after they have received the housing element of their benefits.

“Covid support schemes – including furlough, the Covid Local Grants Scheme, the £20 increase to Universal Credit and the eviction ban – have now ended.

"Paired with rising living costs and the energy crisis, this has created a perfect storm of financial crisis."

Tens of thousands of city dwellers are on waiting lists for a safe place to park their bikes, figures have revealed.

Campaigners are calling for more funding for councils to provide safe parking on residential streets to help boost the uptake of clean transport.

Figures obtained by the Press Association revealed that demand for on-street bike hangars far outstrips supply, with just 20,000 spaces and more than 51,000 people on waiting lists.

Image source, Getty Images

Among the cities which said they had no hangars were Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.

David Renard, transport spokesman for the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England and Wales, says long-term funding is required to "better cater to cyclists".

Two women have been taken to hospital after being hit by a car on a bridge in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Image source, Google

The vehicle left the road on Bridge Foot, hit a wall and then the two pedestrians. It happened shortly before 19:30 on Sunday.

The pair, both in their 60s, suffered potentially serious leg, arm and back injuries, said Warwickshire Police.

A third patient, a man who witnessed the crash, was assessed and discharged at the scene, added the ambulance service.

Sara Blizzard
BBC Weather

This morning, any areas of mist will clear, but it will be quite cloudy.

Outbreaks of rain will arrive by the late morning for most, and the afternoon will see outbreaks of heavy rain, although temperatures will feel mild. Highs of 13C to 16C (55F to 61F).

Amid repairs in the wake of Grenfell, apartment block residents talk of life behind plastic sheets.

The latest news, sport, travel and weather from across the West Midlands and south Cheshire.

Shrewsbury Cathedral will spend about £114,000 repairing the window which dates from 1856.

Wednesfield car parks will be named after community activist Steph Clarke and WW2 hero Harry Busby.

Thousands of people attend a food market in Tamworth and it is hoped more events will be held.

The mishap-prone moggy was rescued from a 9m high tree by firefighters.

West Mercia Police had asked for opinions about shutting some front desks on Sundays and Mondays.