The new chief constable of West Mercia Police starts work today.

Pippa Mills has come to the West Midlands from Essex Police.

Image source, Essex Police

She started her career at the Metropolitan Police in London, before becoming deputy chief constable of Essex in 2017.

Ch Const Mills is the first woman to lead the West Mercia force.

She replaces Anthony Bangham, who retired earlier this week after 30 years of service with West Mercia.

Traffic is building in Solihull town centre this morning after a vehicle crashed into a lamppost.

Lode Lane is partially blocked after the crash near the junction with Dovehouse lane.

Motorists are advised to expect delays.

Sara Blizzard
BBC Weather

There is a band of rain slowly making its way towards us that's due to start falling just in time for the weekend.

In the meantime, a misty start this morning will clear and we'll see a few sunny spells into the afternoon.

Temperatures are set to reach about 21C (70F).

The Digbeth street culture festival is back - with a dream to see artwork across Birmingham.

Catch and release rules are being introduced by the Environment Agency to protect salmon stocks.

John Bathers is described as a "kind and caring man" in a family tribute.

Rebecca Currie says her son's breathing difficulties have been made worse by landfill emissions.

Parts of Staffordshire and Warwickshire are experiencing some of the highest rates of Covid-19 in England, according to the latest official figures.

Tamworth has seen its rate increase from 418 cases per 100,000 people to 467 in the seven days up to 12 September.

Only seven other areas in England have a worse rate.

Nuneaton and Bedworth, Staffordshire Moorlands and Cannock Chase are close behind Tamworth, while Telford and Rugby also have rates in excess of 400 cases per 100,000 people.

Elsewhere in the West Midlands, the number of cases has been fairly level over the period, with many areas seeing modest falls, including Bromsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton.

BBC Entertainment and Arts

Sir Elton John has postponed his upcoming 2021 UK and European tour until 2023, due to a hip injury sustained when he "fell awkwardly" this summer.

Image source, PA Media

The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour dates will be rescheduled, the 74-year-old singer confirmed on Thursday.

"It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I am forced to reschedule," Sir Elton said in a statement.

The planned shows had included an appearance in Birmingham.

Care home providers in the West Midlands face losing more than 5,000 staff due to the government's policy of requiring all workers to be fully vaccinated, a care firm boss has said.

From October, anyone working in a Care Quality Commission-registered care home in England must have two vaccine doses unless they have a medical exemption.

Geoff Butcher, who owns the Field House care home in Stourbridge, as well as five other homes around the West Midlands, said he had six staff out of a total of 260 who were refusing the jab.

The six, including four highly skilled workers, "will have to leave our employment on 11 November," he said.

"Across the West Midlands the figures are that there's about 5,600 staff who will not be vaccinated and will therefore have to leave work - and that's quite a high proportion of the workforce."

He said it was a "good thing" to have a high proportion of staff vaccinated, "but the way it's been done - I don't agree with".

"Staffing in the care sector is incredibly difficult at the moment, there's probably 20 to 25% vacancies, and people are leaving the sector faster than they're being rehired - putting this on top of that is a major problem."

A second man admits manslaughter after Craig Robins was stabbed in 2006 and died in 2019.

Pawanveer Singh, aged 23 months, and 10-year-old Sanjay died at the scene of the collision.

Express and Star

The Express and Star has covered these stories today:

• Father and son ordered to pay almost £2,000 over 'rat-ridden waste mountain', external
• Pregnant teenager in life-threatening condition as car and tram crash, external
• Man killed as car crashes into wall in Stourport, external

Aaron Wan-Bissaka will be asked to explain why he failed to provide details for a speeding offence.

A married pair were returning from a caravan break to celebrate their retirement when they were killed.

Seven West Midlands authorities say they have "carried the burden" of the scheme for years.

The teen is hurt while travelling in a car that collided with the public transport in Wolverhampton.

Port Vale forward Devante Rodney is banned for three matches after admitting a charge of violent conduct.

Coventry owner Joy Seppala says the club is "firmly committed" to a new stadium as they aim for "the Premier League and beyond".

The first new A road in the West Midlands in almost 17 years will be known as the A4545, it has been announced.

The 2.4km (1.5 mile) road is intended to ease congestion on the M42 at junction 6 and make it easier for drivers travelling to Birmingham Airport and nearby venues including Resorts World and the National Exhibition Centre.

The dual carriageway, which was first announced in 2016, will link a new exit on the M42 with the A45 clock interchange.