Judges say Jamie Taylor must spend longer in prison due to "disgusting" racism before his fatal blow.

Carvel Bennett, 74, was jailed for 1970s rape after his daughter's DNA was used as evidence.

BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester

The government has been asked to support the regeneration of Evesham with £9m from its Levelling Up fund.

Wychavon District Council has applied for money to create new cycling and walking routes as well as new heritage and tourist attractions.

Image source, Google

The authority said it was also working to create a multi-sensory virtual reality visitor attraction based on the town’s heritage.

Laura Heath also denies child cruelty charges following the death of her boy Hakeem Hussain, seven.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A sweet chestnut tree that has stood in Solihull since the reign of Henry VIII could "be nearing the end of its lifespan", forestry experts have advised.

One of the boughs of the tree in Elmdon Park broke recently, damaging metal railings, and Solihull Council commissioned an inspection, which revealed "evidence of internal decay which is typical of many veteran trees".

The report by forestry experts also suggested branch pruning should be carried out before October to make it safe.

Image source, Steve Dixon

Some sweet chestnut tree are known to have survived more than 700 years and this one is believed to have started growing in 1518.

It is held in great affection by people living nearby and one local woman said she had known it as “the octopus tree” as a child.

Another resident said her family sang it "happy birthday" every year.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

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

• Shoppers' horror as pigeons run over in town centre, external
• Heartless yobs target tragic tot Harper-Lee's grave, external
• City chiefs warn bin collections disruption to last a fortnight, external

BBC Sport

Birmingham Phoenix will contest the eliminator on Friday in the Women's Hundred to try and make Saturday's final at Lord's.

Image source, PA Media

They are in the match after London Spirit beat Welsh Fire in the final group game but failed to overhaul Phoenix's run-rate.

The Birmingham side will face Oval Invincibles on Friday with the winners facing Southern Brave in the final.

BBC CWR

Rooms in a four-storey block of student flats in Coventry could be offered to non-students, because the pandemic has led to lower demand than expected.

The agents for Casselden House, in Greyfriars Lane, have asked the council for permission to offer up the top two floors.

And they have asked for this change of use to continue until September 2022.

BBC Radio Stoke

There are plans for a giant duck sculpture trail around Stoke-on-Trent landmarks.

Local artist Megan Rose has come up with the idea to help people discover the city and its cultural heritage.

The plan is to put them in places like Middleport, football grounds and the city centre and people will be able to download an interactive map to find the ducks, designed by celebrities and local artists.

A National cricket centre for deaf people is set to open in Birmingham.

The England Cricket Association for the Deaf will open the centre on 2 October.

It will be a training hub for the 1st XI squad, academy players aged 13-18 and a new women and girls section.

The association, which started in 2002, works with the England Cricket Board to promote deaf cricket across the UK and has produced players for England’s deaf national teams.

Players are eligible who require one hearing aid, right up to profoundly deaf BSL users.

Image source, England Cricket Association for the Deaf

Darren Talbot, CEO of England Cricket Association for the Deaf, said: “Deaf people are twice as likely to suffer from mental health issues and so the social side of the game is critical, especially over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic which left many of our members socially isolated.

“This is why we are excited to open our national deaf cricket centre as it will provide our members with the opportunity to play cricket on a regular basis all year round, keeping them active and more importantly helping them socialise with teammates."

The Covid-19 rate has continued to rise steadily in almost every part of the West Midlands, the latest official figures show.

Twenty-four out of 30 local authority areas saw small rises in their rates in the seven days up to 14 August, compared with the week before.

However, Birmingham, the biggest local authority in England, saw a small drop, with 3,671 new cases - down from 3,847.

Image source, PA Media

Herefordshire saw the biggest rise in the same period, with new cases more than doubling to 547 - although they remain very low, compared with many other parts of the country.

Solihull continued to have the highest rate in the West Midlands, with 371 new infections per 100,000 people (a 3% rise on the previous week).

By way of comparison, parts of Yorkshire, East Midlands and Devon saw more than 500 new cases per 100,000 people.

Express and Star

The Express and Star is covering these stories today:

• Black Country councils ready to take in Afghan families, external
• MP launches campaign to save green belt land earmarked for more than 800 homes, external
• £9.7m funding for electric vehicle battery project, external

BBC Sport

West Bromwich Albion head coach Valerien Ismael said he wants the club's fans to make The Hawthorns "an unpleasant place for away teams".

Image source, PA Media

He was speaking after the Baggies thumped Sheffield United 4-0 at home.

Afterwards, Ismael said their supporters played a huge part in the win.

"We kept the intensity for the full 90 minutes. And we gave the fans that joy to create the atmosphere we need," he said.

A set of 350-year-old embroideries have gone back on display after 10 years of painstaking restoration.

The bed hangings are now around the 17th Century bed in the room where King Charles I stayed in 1642, at Birmingham’s Aston Hall.

The linen had rotted away so badly that the embroideries were in danger of being lost forever, but in 2009 the conservation team at Birmingham Museums enrolled the help of heritage volunteers from The Arts Society in Arden, Solihull and Friends of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery to help prevent further damage.

Image source, Birmingham Museums Trust

Jane Thompson-Webb, Conservation Team Leader at Birmingham Museums said: “Before the start of the restoration project, they were very dirty, the colours were dull, and it was obvious that the embroideries were in a fragile state and at risk of being lost forever.

“They’ve been superbly restored thanks to our dedicated team of volunteers – with their hard-work these historic embroideries and their fabulous colours, intricate scenes and delicate details have been preserved for many more years to come.”

BBC Weather

A cloudy morning with a band of light rain set to pass over the area before the cloud breaks up this afternoon with some sunny spells, mixed with scattered showers. High: 20C (68F).

Image source, BBC Weather Watcher Sue Snaps

The sunny spells and showers will continue this evening before a mainly dry night with a few clear spells. Low: 13C (55F).

You can keep up-to-date with your local forecast at any time by going to the BBC Weather website.

Welcome to the start of our live service for Thursday.

We’ll be bringing you all the latest updates for the West Midlands.

You can let us know about stories in your area via Twitter , externaland Facebook, external.

Dominic Solanke and Jaidon Anthony end Birmingham City's unbeaten start as Bournemouth maintain their amazing record at St Andrew's.

The family of a boy with breathing difficulties who live near the landfill has brought the case.

Three-year-old Harrison Louden was found dead alongside his father at their home on Friday.

That's the end of our live coverage for Wednesday.

We'll be back with the news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 tomorrow.