BBC Radio Stoke

Stoke City manager Michael O'Neill said there is good competition for places in his side's midfield.

He was speaking ahead of Stoke's visit to Championship leaders Fulham.

Image source, PA Media

The Potters, in third place, have the same number of points as the Cottagers but are behind them on goal difference.

O'Neill said new signings have brought more competition for places in their midfield.

"Jordan Thompson (pictured) has had a strong start to the season and that is what we want, Tashan Oakley-Boothe to come back and compete for a place when he is injury free," he added.

A lane of a road in Bilston is closed due to a vehicle on its side.

Emergency services are at the scene on the A463 Black Country Route westbound.

BBC Weather

It may have been a slightly cool start for some but the day it is set to warm up quickly.

There will be plenty of warm sunshine into the afternoon, but it will turn a little cloudy from the east later.

That cloud will break up during the evening, allowing for late sunny spells for many.

That clear sky will be prevalent through the night, causing temperatures to drop and it should feel cool come dawn.

Welcome to our live service for Friday.

We’ll be bringing you the latest news from the West Midlands.

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

A new safety campaign hopes to remind drivers there is a real person behind every cyclist.

For years an NHS trust in Worcestershire had a backlog of thousands of unchecked X-ray results.

A Skoda Fabia, driven by Joshua Parkes ploughed through a lamppost and hit a tree, an inquest hears.

The accused is due to appear in court on Friday over the stab death of Jason Bentley-Morrison, 25.

A blue plaque marks Dame Stephanie Shirley's links to Oswestry where maths lessons changed her life.

That's it for our live updates today.

We'll be back from 08:00 on Friday with more news, sport, travel and weather from the West Midlands.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Mark Cardwell

Phone boxes have been wrapped in plastic by a councillor amid concerns they are being used for drug taking and anti-social behaviour.

Image source, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Councillor Mike Leddy wrapped the booths on Institute Road, Kings Heath, in plastic sheeting and added "biohazard" stickers to warn residents of the risks after he removed "a number of syringe needles".

He has also written to BT demanding the phone booths are cleaned more regularly.

Local businesses told the Local Democracy Reporting Service drug use was a "concern" and they would prefer to see the phone boxes removed altogether.

A spokesperson for BT said the phones were providing a "vital community service" so they would not be removed, however an engineer had been deployed for repairs.

An investigation is probing whether water run-off from the warehouse blaze polluted a nearby lake.

A coroner has written to a care home raising concerns about its failure to record skin inspections following the death of a patient.

Peter Harte, 73, died from sepsis at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital on 19 March.

Image source, Google

Assistant coroner for Birmingham and Solihull Adam Hodson recorded his death as due to natural causes but raised concerns after pressure ulcers were recorded during Mr Harte's post-mortem examination.

Although they did not contribute to his death, Mr Hodson wrote to the care home after evidence given at Mr Harte's inquest suggested staff carried out skin inspections but did not record them.

In a prevention of future deaths report, external, he wrote: "It is clear that a failure to ensure that there is a correctly working system of record taking poses a risk of future deaths occurring, especially in the context of extremely frail and vulnerable adults/residents who in a position of dependency by virtue of their frailty or vulnerability."

Peaky Blinders' creator is among the team to deliver the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

Gareth Southgate has announced his squad for England's 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

They will play three games in seven days as they face Hungary, Andorra and Poland in next month's qualifiers.

It will be the Three Lions' first time playing since their Euro 2020 final defeat by Italy.

Included in the squad is West Brom keeper Sam Johnstone, Wolves defender Conor Coady, Villa's Tyrone Mings, former Blues midfielder Jude Bellingham and ex-Villa captain Jack Grealish.

A motorcyclist who was killed in a crash in Bromsgrove has been named as 35-year-old Nick Bennell.

Image source, Family handout

Mr Bennell, who lived in Redditch and Worcester, died after the crash on the A448 on 18 August.

A woman in her 40s was later arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

Mr Bennell leaves two children and his family issued a statement thanking everyone for their support following his death.

BBC Radio Stoke

A man has been charged after a protest at Walleys Quarry in Silverdale, Staffordshire, on Wednesday.

Assistant Chief Constable Scott Green, of the Staffordshire force, said "despite requests from officers to not block the entrance" a 41-year old man had refused to move.

He was arrested and has since been charged with obstructing the highway, police said, external.

Image source, PA Media

ACC Green added: "During the day, police officers kept the situation under review and judged how to strike the balance accordingly, as circumstances changed.

"Organisers had indicated they would be causing a blockade at various times during day. However, the exact details of the blockade were not shared directly with officers.

"Some of those present chose to block access to Walleys Quarry and officers continued to engage with all of those present.

"After a period of over two hours, officers requested that protestors continued their protest from the side of the carriageway."

The sale is criticised by the National Childbirth Trust which calls for more regulations.

A policeman who used force systems to monitor the whereabouts of his former partner would have been dismissed had he not already resigned, a police misconduct panel decided.

Andrew Birkett, 32, worked for Cheshire Constabulary since 2016 and was based in Crewe.

Concerns were raised about his behaviour towards his former partner, a serving officer with the force, and it was found he would log on to police computer systems while off duty to "keep track of what she was doing".

He was due to attend an accelerated misconduct hearing on Thursday but chose to absent himself after resigning last week.

The panel found Mr Birkett breached the standards of professional behaviour regarding authority, respect and courtesy.

Ch Supt Chris Warren said Mr Birkett "blatantly misused police systems".

"His personal behaviour was totally inappropriate for that of a serving police officer."

A 24-year-old and 21-year-old are arrested on suspicion of robbery and wounding, police say.